The Standard - 2016 June 07 - Tuesday

VOL. XXX NO. 115 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 TUESDAY : JUNE 7, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Silence of Jesus’ is CBCP’s response

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‘NO INTERVIEWS’

Duterte vows he won’t talk to media until term ends

By John Paolo Bencito

DAVAO CITY—President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would give no media interviews until the end of his term to avoid “making more mistakes,” even as two UN human rights advocates condemned him for “irresponsible” statements that they said instigate deadly violence.

In line with his policy of no longer holding press conferences, Duterte told TV 5 Monday he would channel his messages to the public through government channels instead.

“If I give interviews, there will be more criticisms. No interview, no criticisms. No interview, No nothing. I’ll just shut up, I don’t want [to give interviews] anymore,” the president-elect said.

“I’m really sorry, but I’m boycotting the press until the end of my term,” he said in Filipino.

Duterte had a falling out with media during a news conference Thursday night, after the France-based Reporters Without Borders called on the local press to boycott him for saying that it was all right to kill corrupt journalists.

Although no local news organi-

zation heeded the call, Duterte angrily challenged journalists covering him to abandon their coverage and leave Davao City, saying he would course his messages through the government station PTV 4.

“Every time he talks, they might just find fault in him,” his top aide, Christopher Go said to justify the no-interview and no-press conference policy.

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Welcome banner. A sign congratulating President-elect Rodrigo Duterte greets motorists and pedestrians at the foot of the Ayala Bridge near Malacañan Palace’s Gate 1, more than three weeks before Duterte’s inauguration on June 30. DANNY PATA

Piñol hits govt men helping smugglers

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Abad sued for blocking retiree benefits

By Rey E. Requejo RETIRED lawyers of the Public Attorneys Office filed a damage suit Monday against Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and another official of the Department of Budget and Management for blocking their retirement benefits.

In a petition before a Quezon City

regional trial court, the retirees also sought the immediate and full implementation of the PAO law.

Represented by PAO chief attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta, the retirees questioned the Budget Department’s legal opinion, which they said contradicted the PAO law.

The petitioners—Amelia Garchitorena,

Bonifacio Guyot, Cynthia Vargas, Gaudencia Fineza Jr., Romeo Sunga, Teresita De Guzman, Jesus Garrucha Jr., Marcelo Cabana, Reynaldo Casas, Carmelito Sumile, Renato Cabrido, Florencio Diloy, Macapangcat Mama, Elidio Bacuyag, Oscar Melad and Arnulfo Singson—also named DBM chief legal Rowena Cadiz Ruiz as a Next page respondent.

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‘Peace, order could suffer from crackdown on drugs’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Florante S. Solmerin

THE peace and order situation could worsen after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte called on citizens to arrest and shoot suspected drug lords, Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson warned Monday, noting that law enforcement agencies could lose control of the situation.

“Certainly, no peace-loving citizens need or deserve a “wild, wild west” environment,” said Lacson, who headed the Philippine National Police during the Estrada administration.

Instead of shooting persons involved in the illicit drug operations, he said, private citizens should be encouraged to report their presence to the authorities.

“And this is where the incentive of a monetary reward should come into play,” Lacson said.

Earlier, Duterte said he would need P1 billion for bounties to kill or arrest 200 notorious drug traffickers or a reward of P5 million for each drug lord, and said he could use his unspent campaign funds for this purpose.

“I will pay P5 million bounty [for killing] drug lords. If alive, P4.99 million only,” Duterte told a crowd during his victory

celebration at the Crocodile Park in Davao City.

But Lacson said they needed to validate a list of drug suspects, a careful and tedious process that would lead to an order of battle.

But Senator Juan Edgardo Angara aired his support for Duterte’s “all-out war” against illegal drugs.

“We support measures to help rid the police of scalawags allegedly involved in corruption and illegal drugs. We also support the proposed salary increase of policemen to attract more qualified and competent law enforcers in the country,” he said.

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III underscored the need to transform Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency under the Office of the President to have authority, enforcement, control and supervision over all matters involving illegal drugs.

‘No...

disturbing when one considers that Philippines is still struggling to ensure accountability to notorious cases of violence against journalists, such as the Maguindanao massacre,” the human rights expert added.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday last week, Duterte said that most journalists killed in the country had done something wrong.

“If you will be killed, you will be killed. There is no way to know the next victim will be a journalist,” Duterte told journalists during his first press conference after being proclaimed president.

“Most of the time, you did something wrong,” Duterte said in Filipino, suggesting that victims were partly to blame for their fate. “You received money but you continued to criticize, that’s why you were killed. There is corruption in the media.”

Duterte cited as an example the 2003 killing of radio broadcaster Juan Pala, whom he described as a “rotten son of a bitch.”

In a seemingly unprovoked attack on the UN at a Thursday night press conference last week, Duterte launched a profanitylaced tirade against the United Nations while criticizing it for being too weak to fix problems

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The UN special rapporteurs on Monday expressed alarm over the president-elect’s “provocative” statements that they said promotes killing without due process.

“A message of this nature amounts to incitement to violence and killing, in a nation already ranked as the seconddeadliest country for journalists,” UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, Cristof Heyns said in a statement sent to The Standard.

“These comments are irresponsible in the extreme, and unbecoming of any leader, let alone someone who is to assume the position of the leader of a country that calls itself democratic.”

UN Special Rapporteur on freedom opinion and expression, David Kaye, said, “Justifying the killings of journalists on the basis of how they conduct their professional activities can be understood as a permissive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is acceptable in certain circumstances and would not be punished.”

“This position is even more

While the Justice Department has control over the prosecution of drug-related cases, he noted that for the last six years, 80 percent of drug cases were dismissed.

Sotto, who served as chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said he would work in the Senate to incorporate all the functions related fo illegal drugs under one agency.

Reacting to Duterte’s call for three police generals allegedly involved in drugs to resign, outgoing PNP chief Ricardo Marquez said they only have “raw information” about high-ranking suspects.

“We have not found any evidence yet that will support the information about the involvement of active generals. But we have raw information, so we deployed special teams of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group in the Visayas but until now, the work is in progress,” Marquez told reporters at Camp Crame.

Marquez did not elaborate.

During the victory party last Saturday in Davao City, Durterte warned the generals whom he did not name to resign before his oath-taking on June 30 or else he would humiliate them.

“Corruption must stop. I would have to ask about three generals diyan sa Crame to resign. Do not wait for me to name you in public because I

will only humiliate you,” Duterte said.

Marquez said they had no idea about the generals that Duterte mentioned.

“A big part of our campaign against drugs is the internal cleansing, one of the major deliverables of an organization,” he said.

Thirteen persons, including three brothers, were arrested by the police for illegal drug activities in Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Bataan, police said Monday.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, regional director of the PRO 3, identified the suspects as Kirby Carrasco, 34, Carlito Carrasco, 34, Gabby Carrasco, 37, Carlos Nico Molina, Dennis delos Santos ,46, Manelyn Mejia and Jayson Renomeron, all residents of Barangay Buhagin, Baler, Aurora.

Aquino said that the suspects, including Kirby who was the head of illegal drug operation in the province, were arrested during a buy-bust operation in the area. The suspects were brought to the provincial headquarter for further investigation while charges are being prepared against them, Aquino said.

Seized from Carrasco were one .38 cal. revolver and several sachets of shabu worth several thousands of pesos. With Romeo Dizon

in the Middle East and Africa in response to a question about foreign media groups that were critical of him.

“That’s the trouble here, they’re always raising fears about this or that United Nations convention,” Duterte said, even though the journalists’ criticism had not been linked to UN protocols.

“F--- you UN, you can’t even solve the Middle East carnage... couldn’t even lift a finger in Africa… [where they are] butchering the black people there. Shut up all of you.”

Duterte refused to apologize and warned the media: “Don’t f--- with me.”

Kaye said these statements send a strong message of concern about the plight of journalists in the country.

“Such provocative messages indicate to any person who is displeased by the work of a journalist or an activist, for example, that they can attack or kill them without fear of sanction,” Kaye said.

The UN special rapporteurs also slammed Duterte for promising to pay a P3-million bounty to police and military officials for every drug lord they kill.

“Talk of ‘dead or alive’ has no role to play in any state that claims to uphold human rights

in law enforcement,” Heyns said.

“Intentional lethal use of force may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life and not for common policing objectives,” he said.

“The president-elect fools no one when he says he is not calling on people to be killed.”

In a separate statement over the weekend, the Philippine Press Institute—the national organization of all newspapers in the country, called on the incoming Duterte administration to “commit itself in no uncertain terms to protecting journalists and other media workers in the country and thus uphold the constitutionally enshrined freedom of the press.”

The PPI said “the incoming president’s disturbing remarks do nothing to counter the spate of media attacks in the country.

On the contrary, they tend to foster the brazen sense of impunity behind the alarming rise of journalist deaths in the Philippines.”

It said that while it is true that some journalists are corrupt, “citing it as a deplorable reality in journalism practice is one thing, [and] using it as a justification for murdering or attacking journalists is absolutely another.”

Abad...

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In blocking their benefits, the retirees said Abad violated the PAO law, which said they would receive benefits equal to those that prosecutors receive under the National Prosecution Service.

For the damage it has incurred to the old and some dying retirees, the PAO retirees asked that Abad and Ruiz be ordered to pay actual and compensatory damages to them.

The petitioners sought P400,000 in exemplary damages and P400,000 in moral damages.

Also on Monday, the assistant general manager of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said a British consulting firm contracted by Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya at a cost of P66 million to solve the congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has yet to deliver any results in the Naia Runway Optimization project.

The CAAP official, Rodante Joya, said NATS Services Ltd. and Schema Konsult Inc., an expert in air traffic management, have not provided any recommendations on the optimal configuration of the airport’s intersecting runways.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said nothing has been heard from the consultants after they signed the contract on June 30, 2015.

Apolonio added that the agency has yet to hear from any transport official involved in the project.

Joya said that the consultants didn’t even bother to sit down with the CAAP, which had to implement its own solutions to reduce the number of delayed flights at the airport.

Based on its timetable, NATS Services was supposed to improve air traffic movement from 40 to 60 flights per hour by July this year.

In the first six months of the 12-month contract, NATS was to evaluate the airport’s current airspace, runway, and terminal capacities; air traffic and surface operations; runway access points; and ATC training.

While having jurisdiction over the country’s airports the CAAP controls only the navigational operations of the congested Naia.

The Manila International Airport Authority and CAAP were then supposed to implement the improvement measures.

“We don’t know if there really is any output. It hasn’t been given to us,” Apolonio said.

In an earlier statement when the project was awarded, Abaya said that the P66-million fee for the foreign consultants was “money well spent.”

“We are excited to work with one of the world’s best firms in the industry towards optimizing Naia’s runway capacity. With NATS, which has worked on the Dubai, Singapore, and Heathrow Airports, we can expect safer, more efficient operations, and much less flight delays and cancellations,” Abaya said.

Abaya has yet to respond to questions about the deal. With John Paolo Bencito

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Enrile says it’s time to fade away APPEARING for the last time in the Senate that marked the end of the 16th Congress, the 92-year-old Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said Monday old politicians never die, they just fade away.

Briefing. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. meets with incoming Press Secretary Martin Andanar as they hold a briefing in Malacañang on Monday . MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Piñol says officials get rich from rice DAVAO CITY—Incoming Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Monday the Aquino administration’s agriculture officials were conspiring to increase the country’s rice importations so they could make money.

“Indeed, there is a conspiracy.

Some government officials are open to importation because that’s where they earn,” Piñol told reporters in Kidapawan City.

Citing his dialogues with stakeholders and some NFA personnel, Piñol cited the rampant corruption in the Department of Agriculture as “billions of pesos were lost due to rice smuggling”—with government officials getting a rebate of $20 per metric ton of imported rice from such counties like Vietnam.

“We are importing because of the shortfall, and about two million metric tons every year. Multiply that by $20, and that’s how much money they are earning,” Piñol said.

The former governor of North Cotabato, himself a farmer, is embarking on a “Biyaheng Bukid” across the country “to see for myself the conditions of the poor farmers and fishermen.”

Piñol said farmers and fishermen are being cheated by traders and suffering from government neglect.

In his recent trip to Zamboanga, Piñol recounted that the lack of irrigation and irrigation systems in most provinces made them “a net importer of rice even if they had the potential of producing enough for their residents.”

“The average rice production in the Zamboanga City area is a pitiful 3.5-metric tons during the rainy season and a measly 1.7-metric tons during the dry season,” Piñol said.

John Paolo Bencito

Group wants probe of Smartmatic A GROUP has asked the Supreme Court to order an investigation of Smartmatic–TIM Corp. over its alleged tampering with the results of the national elections on May 9 this year.

The group led by lawyer Eduardo Bringas asked the high court to compel the Commission on Elections to prosecute the Smartmatic personnel “who tampered with the AES [automated election results] and those who conspired with them.”

The group asked the tribunal to make sure the Comelec conducted “an independent and thorough investigation of the two reported incidents [in which Smartmatic officials allegedly illegally gained access to the AES system during

the canvassing of votes).”

The group made its petition even as a spokesman of the political group United Nationalist Alliance said the Comelec’s dismissive attitude on the poll irregularities showed its lack of interest despite the mounting calls for an investigation.

UNA’s Mon Ilagan said his group supports the call of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting urging the Comelec to look into the irregularities in connection with the May 9 national elections.

“Comelec’s dismissive attitude only means that it does not give any serious attention on the reported claims of election fraud,’’ Ilagan said.

The petitioners asked that

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and the other commissioners who had already made their conclusions on the case to inhibit themselves from the investigation that they were seeking.

They also asked the high court to order an explanation for the supposed discrepancy in the results of the vice presidential race, citing the sudden rise in the figures for Camarines Rep. and Vice President-elect Leni Robredo.

Bringas, a petitioner in the pork barrel scams, also urged the high court to compel the Comelec to allow their group and the public to have access to the source codes and hash codes of the vote counting machines. Rey E. Requejo and Vito Barcelo

Oathtaking. Juan Miguel Zubiri takes his oath as Senator before Barangay Captain Rumel Castilla Sr. in Malaybalay City. LANCE BACONGUIS

“Like what MacArthur said, old soldiers never die, they just fade away. I’d say today, my last appearance in this chamber, old politicians never die, they will just fade away,” Enrile said.

“When we adjourn at midnight today, I shall have closed my public service to the nation, a service that spanned more than half a century when I began to work for the government in January 1966.”

Enrile made his statement even as the House of Representatives adjourned sine die without overriding President Benigno Aquino III’s veto on the proposed 2,000-peso increase in the pensions of retired members of the Social Security System.

House Minority Leader Neri Colmenares insisted on a motion to act on overriding Aquino’s veto to House Bill 5842 even if the Senate had already adjourned sine die.

But House majority leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales Jr. said it would be “an exercise in futility” even if the Lower House was able to decide on the matter.

Enrile recalled the years that he had spent in government service since January 1966.

The oldest member of Congress said he served more than 20 years in the executive department in various capacities.

Enrile said he handled the country’s financial system and justice system at a time when all the courts below the Supreme Court were under the Secretary of Justice where he had been assigned.

Enrile’s term will expire on June 30 and a new Congress will open on July 25.

“All those years, Mr. President, I tried my best to serve the people be cause I thought that it was a mission for me to do,” Enrile said.

He thanked the people who supported and helped him in the chamber. He likewise sought for understanding from those whom he had hurt unwittingly during the heated debates.

Graduating Senator Pia Cayetano also thanked the people in the Senate whom she had served for 12 years.

The elder sister of Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano won the lone congressional seat in Taguig City to replace her brother Lino.

The Senate expressed gratitude and appreciation to nine outgoing senators as it approved separate resolutions on the matter.

In nine Senate resolutions, the chamber commended Enrile, Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Teofisto Guingona III and Sergio Osmeña.

Guingona and Osmeña are leaving the Senate after failing to win in their reelection bid.

Of the nine, only Enrile, Cayetano, and Osmeña showed up as Congress adjourned sine die. Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

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Church seeks ‘silence of Jesus’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan DESPITE the curses Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte has unleashed against the Catholic Church and its prelates, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president and Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas declined to respond and instead invoked the “silence of Jesus before the arrogance of Pilate.”

Ramadan kareem. A man whiles away the time at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila by reading the Quran before the evening meal, called iftar, at the start of Ramadam on Monday. DANNY PATA

‘Stopping K-12 more troublesome’

By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz DESPITE the protestations and five petitions in the Supreme Court against K-to12 program, incoming Education secretary Leonor Briones said suspending the program may be more problematic than pushing through with its implementation which is already on its fourth year.

“The way I see it, definitely, there will be problems [in its implementation]. Suspending it could lead to more problems right now,” Briones said, adding that the program can help make Filipino students globally competitive.

She noted that a 12-year basic education curriculum is required for Filipino graduates to be eligible under the Washington

Not worth the trouble.

Saying the K-12 program has already been implemented for four years, incoming Education secretary Leonor Briones said there will be more problems if the program is suspended compared to its continuation.

She said the incoming administration will instead try to improve the implementation of the program.

MANNY PALMERO

Accord for engineers and Bologna Accord for the European Union.

The Philippines is the only country in Asia with less than 11 years of basic education, and among the last three countries with a 10-year curriculum.

“One with a masters or a doctorate degree will find it hard to find a [better] job abroad,” she added. “The question is, which is more harmful—to stop it at this time or to continue it as this time?”

While she understands the negative reactions over more additional burden to students and their parents, Briones insisted that the law’s implementation was long overdue and much preparation has already been made. ‘‘Many schools have been preparing for these challenges four years ago,” she said.

“Many schools are prepared for such challenges. We are aware that both the Commission on Higher Education and DepEd have adopted contingency measures.”

To ensure an orderly and seamless transition, she said, a transition team has been created to coordinate with outgoing Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

“The new administration will come in on July 1. By then, Grade 11 of K-to-12 will be in place. What can be done by the incoming administration at this time is to monitor closely the implementation of Grade 11 starting June 13,” she said.

But Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said shortages of teachers and classrooms are expected to hound the opening of classes at the basic level next week.

“Mine is the language of peace that refuses the dark magic of revenge,” Villegas said in response to Duterte’s repeated and profanity-laced criticism of the Catholic Church as “most hypocritical institution.”

“Mine is the silence of respect for those who consider us their enemies but whose good we truly pray for and whose happiness we want to see unfold.

“There is virtue in silence. There is virtue in speech. Wisdom is knowing when it is time for silence and when is the timing for speech,” Villegas said.

“You can understand my speech if you speak the language of silence. You can understand my silence if you know how to love like Him who was born one silent night,” the bishop added.

Outspoken Benedictine nun Mary John Mananzan said she will follow Villegas call for the “silence of Jesus” and said it would be best to just pray for Duterte over the next six years.

“It makes me sad that [Duterte] is so against many people. He turns off so many people but [with] regards to the Catholic Church, I’ll take the cue from Bishop Soc [Villegas] and be quiet about it,” Mananzan was quoted as saying by the ABS-CBN television network.

Mananzan said Duterte’s statements against the Catholic Church is no longer new and the Church, under the leadership of Pope Francis, continues to implement reforms up to the present time.

“The Catholic Church has been there for 2,000 years and no one person will be able to put it down. I would rather not go down to any level. So what if these people do not like the Catholic Church? That is their problem,” she said.

“I have been praying to God to make him succeed in his plans that are good for the people like to put an end to drugs, but not by killing them, and bring down corruption... But with regards to the Catholic Church, the Church is strong enough.”

Muslim world starts Ramadan THE annual fasting month of Ramadan began Monday in the Philippines even though it was too cloudy to spot the crescent moon on Sunday, according to Filipino muftis, or Islamic scholars.

Mufti Abu Hureyrah Udasan of the Darul Ifta for Maguindanao and Cotabato said Islamic scholars in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore said the crescent moon appeared for about 18 minutes shortly after sunset Sunday.

Other Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa are also expected to begin observing Ramadan on Monday or on Tuesday.

Ramadan is the ninth month

of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad.

This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and lasts for 29 to 30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.

During Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn to dusk.

They break the fast with a meal known as iftar and before dawn they have a second opportunity to eat and drink during suhur. Ramadan culminates in Eid al-Fitr, another important Islamic holy day.

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Legal aid for soldiers, police okayed

By Maricel V. Cruz

Last appearance. Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Gregorio Honasan share a light moment with their Senate colleagues at the end of the 16th Congress in Pasay City. The 92-year-old Enrile appeared for the last time in the Senate. EY ACASIO

China urges US: Let’s trust each other more Beijing, China—President Xi jinping said China and the US needed to trust each other more as both sides sought to minimize tensions over the South China Sea at the opening Monday of key annual talks in Beijing.

China claims nearly all of the strategically vital sea despite competing claims by several Southeast Asian neighbors, and has rapidly built artificial islands suitable for military use.

Washington has responded by sending warships close to Chinese claimed reefs, angering Beijing.

“China and the US need to increase mutual trust,” Xi said at the opening of the annual strategic dialogue, calling for redoubling of efforts for the two powers to manage conflicts and

avoid “strategic misjudgement.”

“Some disputes may not be resolved for the time being,” he said, but both sides should take a “pragmatic and constructive” attitude towards those issues.

“The vast Pacific should be a stage for cooperation, not an area for competition,” he said.

Speaking for the US, Secretary of State John Kerry called for a “diplomatic solution” to the problem.

“We are looking for a peaceful resolution to the dispute in the South China Sea and oppose

any country resolving claims through unilateral action,” he said, referring to China’s increasingly aggressive expansion in the area.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have competing claims in the South China Sea, which encompasses vital global shipping routes and is believed to have significant oil and gas deposits.

Manila accuses China of taking effective control of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and has brought a case against Beijing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. China has shunned the proceedings and says it will not recognize any ruling.

- ‘Provocative act’ The Beijing talks follow an Asian security summit at the

weekend where US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter warned that Chinese construction on the shoal would prompt unspecified “actions” by the United States and other nations.

Following Carter’s comments at the Singapore meeting, Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo said the issue had become “overheated” and said China did not fear “trouble” over its territorial disputes.

Tensions mounted after the South China Morning Post reported last week Beijing could establish an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the sea—which would require civilian aircraft to identify themselves to military controllers.

Such a move would be considered “a provocative and destabilizing act”, Kerry said on a trip to Mongolia Sunday. AFP

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill providing for free legal assistance to any officer or enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippine and the Philippine National Police.

House deputy minority leader and party-list Rep. Silvestre Bello III, one of the bill’s authors, said House Bill 6413 offers help to military and law enforcers facing any charges arising from an event related to their official duty.

“Those officers and modest enlisted personnel of the AFP and PNP cannot afford to engage the services of a lawyer due to the prohibitive cost of legal services to defend themselves,” Bello said.

Under the measure, the AFP Chief of Staff, PNP Chief or the Chairperson of the National Police Commission shall be mandated to authorize any lawyer with the assistance of Public Attorney’s Office to provide free legal assistance to any AFP and AFP personnel within 24 hours after charges have been filed.

The bill provides that the funds needed to implement the Act shall come from the appropriation of the Department of Justice, AFP, Napolcom and PNP in the year following its enactment into law.

“They shall also issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement the Act,” the bill states.

Bello said he is hopeful that the next 17th Congress will be able to reintroduce the measure and make effort to have it signed into law so that the police and soldiers would be provided the necessary legal assistance they need.

‘Close-Up party fatalities took drugs before event’

By Maricel V. Cruz THe police on Monday denied the alleged selling of prohibited drugs at the Close-Up Forever Summer Concert in Pasay City last month where five concert-goers died after taking banned substances.

At a hearing conducted by the joint House committees on Metro Manila development, on dangerous drugs, and on youth and sports development, Police Senior Supt. Manuel Lucban Jr., representative from National Capital Region Police Office, said the police has agreed with position of Unilever Philippines Inc., manufacturer of Close-Up, that there was no selling of illegal drugs during the event, even as its investigations confirmed the same.

“Based on the information that we got, the victims who died took the fatal substances before they entered the concert grounds. It’s

only incidental that they went to the Close Up Forever Summer in the series of selling ecstacy,” Lucban told reporters.

“There is rampant selling of these drugs because our youth is using the social media [in such transactions]. And so we urge the parents to closely look after their children, especially when they are on social media,” he added The investigations they conducted showed that the victims could have allegedly taken the dangerous drugs outside the event and that they had been under the influence of prohibited drugs when the concert had started. Lucban added that the CloseUp Forever Summer Concert could be “incidental” to the series of rampant selling of ecstasy in the country.

Lawyer Adon Gabriel, a Close-Up counsel, maintained there was no selling of the so-called ‘party drugs’ at the concert hall.

Assessment. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, left, and former Senator Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel Jr. give newsmen an update on the recently concluded national polls during the ‘Samahang Plaridel’ Kapihan sa Manila Hotel news forum. EY ACASIO

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Road law violators told: Pay up or be on alarm list

By Joel E. Zurbano

Violators of road laws can pay their fines at commercial establishments nationwide beginning June 20, the Metro Manila Development authority said on Monday.

“We are making all facilities available to them so they can settle the fines immediately and avoid being placed under the alarm list of government agencies when they apply for a clearance or renew their vehicle registration,” said lawyer emerson Carlos, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Carlos has signed an agreement with representatives of SM Supermalls and Bayad

Center in connection with the designated payment centers for traffic violators and those caught jaywalking and littering.

Motorists can pay the fines even on weekends even when the accredited bank, Metrobank, and the MMDA redemption and payment center in Makati City are closed.

Carlos also said it is more beneficial and advantageous

for violators who are residing in the provinces since they could settle the fines at the nearest Bayad Center. he reminded motorists who failed to settle the fines could not renew their driver’s license or registration before the Land Transportation Office, which has linked up with the MMDA. At present, violators can only settle the fines in all Metrobank branches and MMDA redemption center at the agency’s head office along Orense Street in Makati City More than 9,000 violators were caught on cameras violating traffic rules and regulations in Metro Manila. Of the numbers, at least 2,000 have already settled their fines.

The MMDA recently launched a new website on the No-Contact Apprehension Policy to allow motorists to check whether they have committed a traffic violation.

The website MayHuliBa. com features “Na-HuliCam Ka Ba?”, a database which is a viewable, but not editable Google Spreadsheet online, that contains data or an updated list of the revived traffic scheme on erring motorists.

The data will specifically indicate the plate number of the vehicle apprehended under the policy; its location, date, time when traffic violation was committed; and the action taken by the MMDA. Carlos said the agency has

taken the initiative to develop the scheme in response to the popular netizens’ demand for an easy and efficient approach to verify if they have been cited for a traffic infraction.

The system will facilitate the process of verifying the motorist on violations and also ease their fears to the possibility that they might be wrongly cited for traffic infraction, MMDA said.

A motorist can check the database by typing the plate number of their vehicle. The number, date and time, the violation committed and the status of ticket either ready for mailing or sent will appear after completing the data needed.

Two-week excavation work on Skyway 3 ABOuT 100 meters of the entire southbound lane of Osmeña highway in front of Cash and Carry Mall in Makati will be closed to traffic all day for two weeks starting 11 p.m., June 7 to give way to the excavation work for three columns of the Skyway Stage 3 (SS3) elevated expressway project.

Southbound motorists may go up the Buendia Flyover to go Skyway System’s at-grade and elevated section and edsa while those bound for the Makati Central Business Center may cross Osmeña highway from Finlandia St. to Dela Rosa St. Additional traffic enforcers are deployed along the affected area to direct traffic and assist motorists.

Road closure and alternate route signages are in place before and around the work area.

The road closure scheme is being implemented in coordination with the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Makati Public Safety Department.

Team SS3 made an appeal for public understanding for any inconvenience the activity may cause and will do everything possible to make sure that public safety is not compromised and that traffic slowdown is minimized.

UP reunion slated for June 25

Razed. Members of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Quezon City battle fire that gutted a residential area in Barangay Bagbag, Novaliches, Quezon City. Manny PalMERo

Bagatsing: Where Manila goes, rest of PH follows The landslide victory that President-elect Rodrigo Duterte achieved in the May 9 elections proved the saying that “where Manila goes, the country follows.”

This assessment was expressed by Manila Congressman Amado Bagatsing, who cited the fact that Duterte garnered some 350,000 votes, or 44 percent of the total votes cast in Manila and came in first among top four presidential candidates.

Manila has about 975,000 registered voters of which approximately 765,000 of them cast their ballots, for a 78-percent turnout, according to the Commission on elections.

The other three presidential bets tallied the following: Grace Poe, second placer with 181,170 votes, or 27.04 percent; Jojo Binay, 3rd 96,997 or 12.94 percent; and administration hopeful Mar Roxas, 4th, 88,047 or 11.75 percent.

Bagatsing was the campaign manager of Duterte in Manila. he was together with

Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, the wife of Duterte’s vice presidential running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. They were the only two overall and general campaign strategists in Metro Manila which is composed of 16 cities and one municipality.

Likewise, Duterte won big time in the metropolis, Bagatsing added.

Of the almost seven million registered voters in Metro Manila, Duterte topped the presidential derby with almost three million votes cast by some of its estimated 80-percent election participants or turnouts, Bagatsing claimed.

As early as July last year, the Bagatsing group and the medical and civic organization he formed 30 years ago—the Kabalikat ng Bayan sa Kaunlaran or Kabaka which now has 200,000 membe rs and is presently headed by its president lawyer eduardo e. Francisco—have started to focus on making Duterte win in Manila and the metropolis. Tony Macapagal

Thai award. Mandaluyong Mayor BenHur Abalos has received the ‘Best Paper’ award at the 4th International Conference on Good Governance and Transformative Leadership in Asia where he lectured on ‘Decentralization, Democracy and Development of Local Governance: Mandaluyong City Experience.’ Held in Thailand and organized by the College of Politics and Governance-Mahasarakham University, this year’s conference focused on the Magsaysay Awardees as icons of laudable service to the people and integrity in governance.

The 2016 uP General Alumni homecoming promises to be an affair filled with delightful entertainment and wistful memories. Graduates of the university of the Philippines, especially the Jubilarians—Diamond (Class of 1956), Golden (Class of 1966), Ruby (Class of 1976), and Silver (Class of 1991)—will converge at 3 p.m. on June 25, 2016, at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, uP Diliman campus, Quezon City, for the milestone event. The reunion is held yearly under the auspices of the uP Alumni Association.

In line with tradition, the homecoming will likewise honor the uPAA Distinguished Alumni Awardees, uP graduates who have made outstanding achievements in their careers while serving their communities and society in general. heading the list are Dr. David M. Consunji and Amina Rasul-Bernardo.

The Jubilarian classes will go onstage with their respective cultural presentations for the entertainment of the homecoming participants—to demonstrate that they, especially the more elderly alumni, still have “what it takes.”

Other entertainers will be in the person of highly talented uP alumni, topbilled by Gerphil Flores, 2013 “Asia’s Got Talent” first runner-up, and the uP Street Dance, uAAP Street Dance Competition Season 78 champions.

A ticket to the 2016 uP Alumni homecoming is priced at P1,500 and entitles the holder to dinner, a complimentary copy of the 2016 uP General Alumni homecoming Yearbook, and raffle prizes. Tickets are available at the uPAA Secretariat, 2nd Floor, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, uP Diliman, Quezon City; telephones 920-6868 and 9206871; mobile 0917-8372098.

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NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

University admits loopholes in student training

By Dexter A. See

Paint the wall. A Philippine Army soldier adds a fresh coat of paint to the walls of a school in Catbalogan City. MEL CASPE

Ecija PNP revamps office, relieves 23 cops of posts

By Ferdie Domingo

CABANATUAN CITY—Twenty-three police officers, 16 of whom were police station commanders, were relieved from their posts in a revamp of the provincial office of the Philippine National Police almost a month after the elections.

Of those relieved, nine carried the rank of police superintendents, four chief inspectors and the rest were senior inspectors.

The relief of the 23 was contained in Special Order 137 issued by provincial police director, Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel, dated

May 30. It took effect June 1.

No immediate reason was cited for the mass relief with Cornel failing to return repeated calls on his mobile phone.

Those relieved were the deputy provincial director for operations and the respective heads of the

provincial personnel holding and account unit, the provincial operations and plans branch, the police community relations branch, provincial investigation and detective management branch and the provincial personnel and human resource development branch as well as the police chiefs of the cities of Gapan, Muñoz, Palayan and San Jose and the municipalities of Aliaga, Gen. Tinio, Jaen, Laur, Lupao, Pantabangan, Peñaranda, San Antonio, Sta. Rosa, Sto. Domingo and Talavera.

The number of station commanders relieved represents half of the 32 police chiefs assigned in

the five component cities and 27 municipalities of the province.

Of the five cities, only the station commander of the Cabanatuan police—Supt. Joselito Villarosa— retained his post in spite of reports that he is a godson of Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara and virtually serving as the latter’s personal bodyguard and rampant criminality in this city.

A police superintendent is the equivalent of a lieutenant colonel in the defunct Integrated National Police while a chief inspector a police major and a senior inspector a police captain.

LINGAYEN—Pangasinan State University president Dexter Buted recently admitted there are “loopholes and problems” in its on-the-job training system during the hearing of the ad hoc committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan held at the session hall of the Capitol building here.

The SP inquiry tackled a complaint based on a letter of concerned citizens detailing the experience of 34 PSU students who allegedly treated as regular employees at Interphil Laboratories in Canlubang, Laguna province.

The issue on the alleged irregularities of the OJT program of PSU cropped up after Dharel dela Cruz, a graduating Business Administration student of PSU-San Carlos, was hospitalized due to a serious respiratory ailment he acquired during his training at the pharmaceutical firm.

The complaint received by the governor’s office stated that the unsuitable environment of the workplace has unfortunately caused Dharel to be hospitalized, as he was not even allowed to go home when he started feeling ill.

It was learned during the inquiry that aside from performing office work in Interphil, the OJTs were also exposed to dry products packaging.

Submit statement of contributions, expenditures or be sued—Comelec

By Lance Baconguis CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Commission on Elections Commissioner Louie Guia reminded all candidates who ran in the 2016 elections to submit their Statement of Contribution and Expenditure before the June 8 deadline.

“The Comelec will file cases against those who fail to submit,” Guia said.

Guia was in Cagayan de Oro City to oversee the Random Manual AuditLevel II in the region.

He added that the Comelec has never been remiss in reminding the candidates of the deadline.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates who fail to submit their SOCE twice wil also be barred from running for public office.

Guia added that the 2016 automated

election had been efficient and transparent that results started pouring in just an hour after the closing of the polling centers.

He said that since the election returns are transmitted to transparency servers and the teachers no longer have to manually count the result, the result is faster.

“We now have more politicians who have learned the word ‘concede’ as oppose to the traditional manual canvassing,” Guia said.

He also said that the Comelec would submit its findings on the problems encountered during the 2016 election to improve the next election.

“We need more time for education and information campaign to ensure that voters would shade their ballot correctly,” Guia said.

Audit. Employees of the Commission on Elections perform a Random Manual Audit-Level II for Northern Mindanao at the Misamis Oriental Training Center. LANCE BACONGUIS

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ADELLE CHUA EDITOR T U E S D AY: J U N E 7, 2 0 1 6

OPINION [ EDI TORI A L ]

CAYETANO’S YEAR

SOME nerve Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has got, if we are to go by his colleagues’ account of how he is lobbying to clinch the Senate presidency. He needs somewhere to “park” for a year before he becomes eligible for an appointive position in the Cabinet of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

Cayetano was Duterte’s vice presidential running mate in the elections held last month. He lost, but was supposedly told by Duterte that he could have any Cabinet post he wants—at the right time, of course.

Meanwhile, Cayetano needs at least 13 votes from his colleagues in the incoming Congress if he wants to wrest the presidency from incumbent Senate President Franklin Drilon. He brags he has 15 votes in the bag, including that of Senator Cynthia Villar, wife of Nacionalista Party head Manuel Villar who recently forged an alliance with Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

We cannot say we are too fond of the others similarly running: Drilon, who wants to retain control, and Senators Vicente Sotto III and Aquilino Pimentel III. Still, Cayetano’s attempts to secure the thirdhighest post in the land reeks of desperation and sense of entitlement.

Despite the grim realities of politics, compromises and power play, the Senate presidency remains an office that ideally ensures checks and balance in government.

The leader of the Upper House directs its legislative agenda and ensures that laws that need to be passed are in fact passed before the frivolous ones. It’s the Senate president who is next in line should, for some reason, the president and vice president both become incapacitated to govern.

Any aspirant looking to assume it for mere convenience demeans the office and exposes himself as an opportunist.

Then again, we already know that. This is Cayetano, so transparent in his desperation to attach himself to Duterte’s camp at the start of the campaign. This is Cayetano who mouths words against whoever his enemy is for the moment, as though he is deathly afraid of silence.

This is a man so ambitious he would do anything for a post, such that his sister who used to be known as a champion of women’s rights now pulls her punches amid insulting statements and actions of Mr. Duterte.

The next set of senators should look beyond their personal interests as they choose their leader. There is a reason the person occupying the post is called “Senate president”—not “stooge,” and certainly not “temp.”

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THE SIX-YEAR ‘KEMBOT’ LOWDOWN JOJO A. ROBLES

IS THERE really such a thing as a Duterte-Robredo administration?

Only if you believe the ABS-CBN network, apparently.

According to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, there is no such thing. “I never heard of an Aquino-Binay, an Estrada-Arroyo or an Aquino-Laurel administration. This is the first time in my life that a VP is part of [the name of ] an administration,” said Cayetano, speaking during the Davao City victory party for Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte over the weekend.

Of course, Cayetano would have dearly loved for it to have been a Duterte-Cayetano administration, if the voters had allowed it.

But I’m with Cayetano on this, even if I don’t

agree with him on a lot of other issues.

(My latest beef against the defeated running mate of Duterte is the appointment of television broadcaster Martin Andanar, a nephew-inlaw of Senator Cynthia Villar, as head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office. Cayetano, I think, is hell-bent on packing the Duterte Cabinet with members of the family of the Villars, his mates in the Nacionalista Party.)

Even in the United States, where you can’t vote for a “split ticket” like we do here, no one calls it the ObamaBiden administration.

For the matter of that, I’m sure the Republicans would never have agreed, for obvious reasons, to call the government of George Bush Sr. the Bush-Quayle administration.

Cayetano sees a plot in the broadcast giant’s

Even in the US, where you can’t vote for a ‘split ticket’ like we do here, no one calls it the Obama-Biden administration.

joining together of the names of Vice President-elect Leni Robredo and Duterte. “Even this early, they already have dirty plans in their minds,” he said.

“They want to kick him out, remove him from office even before he sits down as president,” Cayetano said.

“We already have a Duterte-resign petition, impeach-Duterte calls.”

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Finance Officer

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

In Cayetano’s mind, the network must be part of a plot to condition the minds of the people to accept Robredo not only as Duterte’s successor in case he somehow fails to finish his term, but also as a part of the Duterte administration. She is entitled to the first, of course, but she not the second, unless the president-elect gives her a Cabinet or other similar position.

And a job in Duterte’s government would make Leni a real part of the administration —even if she still won’t merit being conjoined with Duterte in the administration’s name.

Robredo’s latest jobhunting effort in the Duterte government has also ended in grief, after the camp of the new president announced that the post of head of the National Anti-Poverty Commission will go “to a woman from the Left.”

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Continued on A11 Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T U E S D AY : J U N E 7, 2 0 1 6

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

A CULTURE OF IMPUNITY TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

FIRST, President-elect Rodrigo Roa Duterte took on the Catholic Church as the “most hypocritical institution” simply because some members of the Catholic hierarchy are lecherous scoundrels.

He mistook the papacy and the clergy of the Catholic Church built

by Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago which the “gates of hell shall not prevail against.”

Then, Du30 took on the press, saying that corrupt members of media deserved to be killed. He cited three categories of members of the media: one, the crusaders; two, those who work for vested interests; and three, the extortionists.

Santa Banana, I’m actually glad that the president-elect has taken on media as an adversary. It is an institution I am well acquainted with as a veteran journalist for over six decades.

Sure, there are rotten eggs in media, just as there are corrupt people in government or any other institution and profession.

Media involves public trust. Extra-judicial killings happen because the wheels of justice in this country turn slowly.

Some work-related cases are when commentators become paid hacks of politicians. Some opinion writers act as crusaders for criminals and drug lords in the provinces where the latter operate. These are the members of media that Du30 wants killed.

Many cases of journalist killings, however, are not work-related.

They are personal.

Now, this is why some members of media are corrupt. Compared to other professions, journalism pays poorly. Would you believe that even here in

Metro Manila, reporters get only P10,000 a month? In broadcast, there are some who earn P7,000.

This is why I believe journalism is not a profession but a calling.

One cannot hope to get rich unless one becomes corrupt.

Would you believe that when I got into the Philippines Herald, I started as a business editor for P250 a month? That was in the 1950s. This was also how much I made as editor of a provincial weekly in Cotabato.

This amount took care of my board, lodging and other daily expenses, and despite this I still managed to send home P150 to my mother. I guess it was the Ilocano in me.

I’m actually glad that the presidentelect has taken on media as an adversary.

I can only imagine how poorly paid members of media in the provinces manage with their salaries.

Most publications and broadcast entities in the provinces cannot expect to make money.

These organizations are mostly established by vested interests and politicians—for obvious reasons.

In other countries, most media outlets have cooperatives where members of media partake of the profits. Here, however, most media outlets are controlled by vested interest and taipans.

Thus, until journalists get the pay they deserve, there will always be extortionists among them.

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED FROM THE PRESIDENT-ELECT ADMIRERS and critics of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte are resigned to the idea that the incoming president will be rather unpredictable as far as his protocols and management style are concerned. In fact, “unpredictable” is an imprecise term.

Suffice it to say that everyone monitoring Duterte for the next four weeks before his inauguration should expect the unexpected. Past events suggest it.

Duterte did not show up at his proclamation in Congress last week. Congress proclaimed him anyway because the Constitution does not require the presidentelect to be physically present during his proclamation by Congress.

Unless the latest plans are changed, Duterte’s oath-taking will take place not at the usual site —the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta—but at Malacañang. The Constitution does not state that the presidential inaugural must be held at a particular place.

Duterte also announced that he will wear ordinary clothes, and not the traditional barong, on his inaugural.

Unlike other candidates, Duterte always bowed to his audience before and after delivering a speech during the campaign.

By bowing to the people, Duterte acknowledges what the Constitution provides—that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. Past presidents only nodded at their audiences.

Because Duterte promised to end the drug menace within the first six months of his presidency, his critics tag him as the “inspiStill, I am not saying that corrupt members of media deserve to be killed, like what Du30 said. I believe the rule of law also applies to everybody where due process is held sacrosanct.

The true test of members of media who remain true to their calling is how long they have stayed in the industry.

It’s in the impunity of killing where I draw the line. In fact, this culture of impunity has become an affliction among some local government executives.

It will be a jungle without the rule of law and due process. Under our laws, even the lowliest of criminals have human and civil rights.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA ration” for the recent elimination of three drug traffickers in Bohol in a shoot-out with the local police. There is nothing illegal about “inspiring” law enforcers into fulfilling their crime-fighting duties in the first place.

In all likelihood, the policemen who killed those drug traffickers were trying to look efficient in the eyes of Duterte.

They probably wanted to impress Duterte so that they will not be fired for incompetence once he assumes office.

Nowadays, many government officials trying to look efficient, likewise in the hope of retaining their jobs. Just recently, airport authorities came out with a rare newspaper advertisement explaining how refunds can be obtained. Also, extortion at the airport departure area has stopped, unlike months ago when bullets were surprisingly “found” inside the baggages of elderly passengers.

Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines are not happy with a Duterte presidency.

Months before election day, organizations bearing ties with the Church were openly campaigning against Duterte. When pressed for an explanation, the frequent answer given is that Duterte said unkind words about Pope Francis last year. Good heavens! Duterte has already publicly apologized for those remarks. Isn’t forgiveness of sins

Du30 promises to metamorphose like a butterfly as soon as he takes office. Should we believe him at all? Can a zebra change its stripes?

He was elected by over 16 million Filipinos precisely for what he is: A self-confessed killer and womanizer, a vulgar and foul-mouthed man. Will he change all that and become a traditional politician? Is this the change he promises?

As I have said in a previous column, I am beginning to like Du30 because he gives me, an opinion writer, so much to write about.

His method of communicating with media and getting things done are completely different from the ways of any

a cornerstone of the Catholic faith?

It’s no secret that the Church leaders long for the return of their political influence over the government, much like what happened when Cory Aquino was president. Cory often deferred to Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who made no effort to hide his ascendancy over the president. Church leaders see another Cory they can influence in Robredo, which explains their belated support for Robredo and their public disdain for Duterte.

An exasperated Duterte called Church leaders hypocrites and opportunists. That remark, no matter how abrasive it may be, is protected under the Constitution, even if it emanates from the president himself. There is nothing in the Constitution which prohibits the president from exercising his right to express his views, even if those views do not sit well with officials of an organized religion.

Actually, there is truth to what Duterte said about leaders of the Church.

More than a year ago, an outspoken tourist guide operating in Intramuros created a stir when he entered a church and disrupted an on-going meeting of clergymen. More specifically, he held up a sign bearing the name “Padre Damaso,” the evil priest in the novel Noli Me Tangere written by our national hero, Jose Rizal. In doing so, the tourist guide equated the current clergy with the nefarious ones who held political power during Rizal’s time.

other president we have had.

All I can say is that we deserve the president we elected. *** The Commission on Elections claims that the May 9 elections were clean, honest and fair. But the smoking gun is the claim of Senator Bongbong Marcos that he got zero votes in 11 areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, even in areas with many Iglesia ni Cristo members who have been instructed by their church leaders to vote for Duterte and Marcos.

Bongbong, who lost to administration candidate Leni Robredo by 263,000, got zero votes in 63 municipalities

Continued on A11

and three cities in 15 provinces.

I cannot believe that there are no Iglesia ni Cristo members in these areas. That gives credence to the complaints of INC members that in Lamitan, Basilan, Marcos got zero votes when there are three locales of the INC. Bongbong also got zero votes in Robredo’s bailiwicks in seven municipalities in Camarines Sur and three municipalities of Sorsogon. He also obtained zero votes in the bailiwick of Robredo’s running mate, Mar Roxas, in Iloilo. I cannot believe that there are no Iglesia members in all these areas.

Continued on A11

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OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

JOY, LOVE AND FAMILY EAGLE EYES DEAN TONY LA VIÑA IN INTRODUCING his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (the subject of this series of columns I started last Saturday), Pope Francis says that it is the joy of love among family members that binds the institution to the Church. This joy experienced by families is also the joy of the Church, he writes as an opening statement. He acknowledges the relevance of marriage as an institution, referring to the statement of the Synod Fathers that “for all the many signs of crisis in the institution of marriage, “the desire to marry and form a family remains vibrant, especially among young people, and this is an inspiration to the Church.”

Pope Francis explains that the primary task taken by the Synod Process which involved “an examination of the situation of families in today’s world, and thus for a broader vision and a renewed awareness of the importance of marriage and the family. The complexity of the issues that

Expecting... From A10 Church leaders filed a criminal complaint against the tourist guide. Eventually, the complaint became a criminal case docketed in the Regional Trial Court of Manila. What happened to the forgiveness of sins preached by the same church leaders to the faithful?

The issue got embarrassing when the Vatican confirmed Pope Francis’ papal visit to Manila. Days prior to the papal arrival, Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle announced on television that the church had already forgiven the tourist guide, and it was the government, in the name of the people of the Philippines, which filed the criminal case against the tourist guide. What hogwash! Everyone who knows the law knows that the complaint against the tourist guide would not have developed into a full-blown criminal case if the church leaders did not actively pursue it.

Church leaders are supposed to lead modest lives.

Look at the vehicles used by church leaders today. They ride in late model luxury vehicles accompanied by security personnel riding also in expensive vehicles.

arose revealed the need for continued open discussion of a number of doctrinal, moral, spiritual, and pastoral questions. The thinking of pastors and theologians, if faithful to the Church, honest, realistic and creative, will help us to achieve greater clarity.”

The Pope says that despite the importance of the magisterium in interpreting marriage and family life, it does not serve as an insurmountable barrier in interpreting any and all aspects of the family, taking into account the guidance of the unique and diverse cultures and traditions. In this regard, he explains: “Unity of teaching and practice is certainly necessary in the Church, but this does not preclude various ways of interpreting some aspects of that teaching or drawing certain consequences from it.

This will always be the case as the Spirit guides us towards the entire truth (cf. Jn 16:13), until he leads us fully into the mystery of Christ and enables us to see all things as he does. Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs. For “cultures are in fact quite diverse and ev-

ery general principle… needs to be inculturated, if it is to be respected and applied.”

The Pope also acknowledges the accomplishment of the Synod Process as both impressive and illuminating. Explaining the reason which spurred him to write an Apostolic Exhortation, he writes: “I am grateful for the many contributions that helped me to appreciate more fully the problems faced by families throughout the world. The various interventions of the Synod Fathers, to which I paid close heed, made up, as it were, a multifaceted gem reflecting many legitimate concerns and honest questions. For this reason, I thought it appropriate to prepare a post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation to gather the contributions of the two recent Synods on the family, while adding other considerations as an aid to reflection, dialogue and pastoral practice, and as a help and encouragement to families in their daily commitments and challenges.”

Always mindful of the timeliness of the Apostolic Exhortation especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis gives two reasons for

Back in 2013, the Church openly campaigned against certain senatorial candidates who supported the reproductive health law enacted by Congress. What happened to the constitutionally-mandated separation of Church and State?

When this column criticized Church leaders more than a year ago, a reader assumed that this writer is not a Catholic. Huh? Catholics are not supposed to criticize Church leaders?

A number of women’s groups are up in arms against Duterte as well. They score Duterte for his remarks about rape during his campaign, and for his whistling during a recent press conference in Davao City. While Duterte tacitly acknowledged the importance of women’s rights, he denied that he intentionally disrespected women.

Duterte maintains that what he has been doing so far is protected under the free expression clause of the Constitution. If that is so, and in the absence of precedents, the issue between Duterte and women’s groups remains a stalemate, and this means more surprises can be expected in the foreseeable future.

The six-year... From A8

its continuing relevance, saying: First, because it represents an invitation to Christian families to value the gifts of marriage and the family, and to persevere in a love strengthened by the virtues of generosity, commitment, fidelity and patience. Second, because it seeks to encourage everyone to be a sign of mercy and closeness wherever family life remains imperfect or lacks peace and joy.

At this juncture, the Pope gives a passing review of what is to be expected of the document, an overview of sorts.

He enumerates this portion in this wise: “I will begin with an opening chapter inspired by the Scriptures, to set a proper tone. I will then examine the actual situation of families, in order to keep firmly grounded in reality. I will go on to recall some essential aspects of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family, thus paving the way for two central chapters dedicated to love. I will then highlight some pastoral approaches that can guide us in building sound and fruitful homes in accordance with God’s plan, with a full chapter devoted to the raising of children. Finally, I will offer

The urban poor group Kadamay said Robredo can’t have the NAPC post because she helped herself to poverty-alleviation funds intended for the politically weaponized Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program when she ran with Mar Roxas.

Duterte himself has already explained that he is not giving Robredo any position because he doesn’t want to hurt his friend, Senator Ferdinand Marcos.

So Leni will just have to wait out the next six years engaged in “kembot.”

That is not a sexist remark, by any means. As I recall, as the grueling campaign was ending, Robredo herself told an interviewer that she needed to exert just a little more effort (“konting kembot na lang,” she said) and her work as a candidate would be over.

Now, it appears that she will have to “kembot” all the way to 2022, assuming that Duterte completes his term. And even with the help of the people in ABS-CBN and all the other orphaned Yellows who want her to continue leading the country on that fictitious—and now thoroughly discredited—straight path, that’s not going to be an easy task.

A culture... From A10 What is doubly tragic for Bongbong is that the Comelec, under Chairman Andres Bautista, keeps telling us that the May 9 poll was an election that other countries can emulate.

What? Is this the reason why the Comelec en banc refused to do a manual systems audit of the May 9 polls? It appears that Bautista, the Comelec and its “little Garcis” are in connivance with Smartmatic’s fraudsters, along with the Parish Pastoral Council

an invitation to mercy and the pastoral discernment of those situations that fall short of what the Lord demands of us, and conclude with a brief discussion of family spirituality.”

Finally, he suggests how the text should be read carefully, cautioning the readers on the inevitable length of the document as it delves on a myriad of issues and concerns. Thus, Amoris Laetitia should be read and digested slowly and patiently, deeply reflecting on its message in order to draw the most benefit from it. He says, given the rich fruits of the two-year Synod process, this Exhortation will treat, in different ways, a wide variety of questions. This explains its inevitable breadth and fullness in details which is unlike any other of the same or similar text written by previous Pontiffs.

It is also in this spirit of relishing and embracing the text that I am writing this series explaining this very important Apostolic Exhortation.

Facebook: tonylavs5 or Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

As they say on the street, kembot pa more. *** Speaking of the senator from Taguig, Senator Tito Sotto is rightly appalled: Cayetano has no right to use the Senate presidency as a “parking slot” until the one-year ban for election losers expires and he can snag a post in the Duterte administration, Sotto said.

Sotto, of course, is also seeking the post. And the last time I checked, the position of Senate president has still not been relinquished by its current occupant, Franklin Drilon—who I think is trying to find a way to remain as “SP” even if he is very closely identified with the now-moribund Liberal Party of the outgoing Aquino administration.

But the ascension of Drilon must be the chief motivation of Cayetano in seeking the post, never mind if he only wants to occupy it for a year. If the Senate, for all its talk about being fiercely independent of Malacañang, can stand having Drilon as its head, why not Duterte’s running mate?

The voting for the new Senate head happens on July 25 yet, when Congress reconvenes under the new administration. We shall see then if the slot has been reserved for Cayetano—or not.

for Responsible Voting.

As for Leni, I repeat what I said earlier. Can she sleep soundly at night, knowing she became vice president because of a fraud? *** The Bureau of Customs, now under marine officer Nick Faeldon, will definitely become Du30’s acid test in his fight against corruption. Faeldon will have to fire everybody at Customs including all the security guards who are also in the take.

I covered Customs many

years back. I know that the system itself encourages all bureau personnel to be corrupt.

I recall the day when the late President Ramon Magsaysay brought in some 400 Philippine Military Academy cadets from Baguio in an attempt to end corruption at Customs. The cadets ended up getting corrupted, themselves.

It will be a 24/7 job for the incoming Customs chief. I can almost imagine all the smuggling syndicates laughing at Faeldon, being a misfit at Customs.

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SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Sumang trey keys Blackwater win PENANG, Malaysia—Roi Sumang proved what he’s capable of doing even at crunch time as the rookie guard buried a triple with 0.8 second to help lift Blackwater to a 77-75 win over the tall Zhejiang Chouzhou Commercial BankChina in the 2016 Penang Chief Minister Cup International Basketball Invitational Championships Sunday at the Han Chiang Indoor Stadium here.

Sumang, acquired from Globalport in a trade by the Elite last month, was just in the right place at the right time, taking an inbound pass from Art dela Cruz with three ticks left before launching the topof-the-key triple against Lu Wenbo.

When Sumang’s desperation heave swished in it, sparked a frenzied celebration from the Blackwater bench and the small Filipino contingent.

Though the Chinese had one last chance to snatch the win, 6’11” Lai Junhao’s own desperation three from the corner did not even hit the rim, allowing the Elite to book their 3rd straight win in as many starts.

Despite its gritty win over the tournament top favorite, Blackwater still

needs to beat Karnataka State-India (1-2) and the Malaysia Dragons (2-0) to win the championship outright.

“Suwerte at sipag, ‘yun ‘yung kailangan natin at sabi ko nga kanina, laban lang tayo, ganu’n lang ginawa namin, nagpursige kami,” said Isaac.

“Pinilit namin makipagkatawanan sa mga big men nila and true enough, nagkaroon kami ng winning line going to the final seconds of the game and again, si Roi Sumang, talagang pinakita niya what he’s capable of doing.”

For a while, the Chinese seemed poised for the win as Carlo Lastimosa muffed 2 foul shots with 21.2 seconds to go and Zhejiang Chouzhou ahead by a hairline, 75-74. AFP

Lim-Tesorero duo wins 2016 World Slasher Cup FOLLOWING extremely tight rounds, Magno Lim and Garry Tesorero won the 2016 World Slasher Cup-2 8-Cock Invitational Derby as solo champion with a total of 7.5 points after the 4-cock grand finals at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fighting as tandem under the entry name ML G63, Lim and Tesorero, seized the title after scoring 4 perfect points in the final round.

The duo missed to register 8 perfect points after drawing a fight in the eliminations.

Lim and Tesorero’s closest rival in the grand finals, Greg Atienza, who fought under the entry

name Rooster Camp/One Capiz, emerged with a total score of 7 points.

Clutching a score of 7 points after the eliminations and the semi-finals, and crossing fingers no one could score perfect 4 points in the grand finals while waiting were Jun Mendoza (JM Fantastic); Rep. Kulit Alcala (Kresha); and Capt. Luis Tapia/Alcantara Bros. (Lutap-JLA Alibata-1).

Joey Sy, 2015 World Slasher Cup-2 solo champion, who fought a partnership entry with Noel Jarin and Antonio Bautista, under the entry name Pit Viper Hyper B12, failed to defend his title with a total of 6 points after the grand finals.

Indian bodybuilder Manohar Aich is shown at a gymnasium on the eve of his 100th birthday in Kolkata. India’s first Mr. Universe Aich, a bodybuilder who made his mark 15 years before a certain Arnold Schwarzenegger burst into the scene, has died at the age of 104 in Kolkata. AFP

A flower and an image of Muhammad Ali are seen as people leave items to pay their respects to boxing legend Muhammad Ali at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The family of boxing legend Muhammad Ali prepared Sunday to accompany his body on the journey back to his hometown Louisville, ahead of a public funeral procession and service expected to draw huge crowds in honor of “The Greatest.” AFP

More than 2 decades later, fans are still talking about ‘Thrilla in Manila’ A BUSTLING shopping mall forms an unlikely monument to the “Thrilla in Manila”, but Muhammad Ali’s most brutal fight made its biggest impression on the minds of those who witnessed it and still speak of it with awe.

The late Ali’s third and final meeting with Joe Frazier, in 1975, only went to Manila because Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos was hoping to gain popularity and prestige, three years after declaring martial law.

But after Ali’s glamorous hobnobbing with Marcos and his beauty-queen wife, Imelda, the fight at a stifling Araneta Coliseum was a fearsome collision of the two heavyweights -- and sometimes described as the best boxing match ever seen.

“It was like death. Closest thing to dyin’ that I know of,” said Ali, who was handed victory when Frazier, blinded by swelling around his eyes, failed to emerge for the 15th and final round.

Forty-one years later, the Araneta Coliseum is still doing brisk business, hosting mixed martial arts bouts and concerts by the likes of Kenny Rogers and Engelbert Humperdinck.

The stadium’s canny owner, Jorge Araneta, cashed in further when he asked Ali at the post-fight dinner if he could name a new shopping mall after him. Ali was so flattered he agreed without asking for payment.

The result was the ‘Ali Mall’, the Philippines’ first major shopping centre which was built close to the fight venue -- turning a patch of suburban Manila into a far-flung shrine to ‘The Greatest’, who died on Friday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Later generations of Filipino boxers, including eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, grew up venerating Ali and especially the

‘Thrilla’, which briefly put an impoverished, Southeast Asian dictatorship in the centre of the world’s view.

- ‘Blood spattered far and wide’ Frazier had won their first fight in 1971 before Ali avenged the loss three years later. By the time they met in Manila, the ill-feeling between them was raw, stoked by some incendiary comments from the ‘Louisville Lip’.

“It will be a killa and a chilla and a thrilla when I get the gorilla in Manila,” taunted Ali, giving the fight its iconic nickname.

The fight was held on October 1, 1975 at nearly midday in the tropical country, and with a 25,000-plus crowd and TV lights, the venue’s air conditioning was overwhelmed.

“It was really debilitating. Really humid,” said Lito Tacujan, sports editor of Philippine Star newspaper, recalling the sweltering conditions.

Frazier advanced remorselessly, laying into Ali who mainly tried to keep his distance but absorbed blow after blow before emerging periodically with flurries of combinations.

“I don’t like him but I got to say, in the ring he was a man,” Frazier later said of Ali. “In Manila, I hit him punches, those punches, they’d have knocked a building down.”

In testament to the violence inside the ring, Imelda Marcos’s clothes were spattered with blood, according to one account, and journalists were unable to take notes because their table shook so much from the blows.

“It was literally very bloody,” Marcos was quoted as telling a confidante, Sol Vanzi. “Their punches were so powerful that blood splattered far and wide, staining spectators’ clothes, including mine.”

Tacujan told AFP: “We couldn’t write any notes because the table was shaking from the exchanges in-

side of the ring.

“It was that brutal. They were at each other from round one.”

- Decline and fall Although Ali won, the punishing bout was to prove a turning point for the ageing champion, then 33, as he moved into a phase of steady decline until his eventual retirement in 1981.

“God blessed me that day. He’s blessed me many times, and that fight in Manila was one of them,” Ali said. “It was like I took myself as far as I could go, and God took me the rest of the way.”

The fight was a triumph for President Marcos, who was able to claim a public relations victory. He was eventually topped in the ‘People Power’ protests of 1986.

“It helped project the Philippines internationally at a time when we were being criticized by the western press because of martial rule,” said sportscaster Ronnie Nathanielsz, who acted as Ali’s government liaison.

“It projected a positive image for the Philippines and it was one of the biggest gains of the Marcos regime at the time,” he added.

Joey Romasanta, vice-president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, said that despite the abuses of martial law, “momentarily, we were grateful to President Marcos for bringing (the fight) over.”

“The ‘Thrilla in Manila’ united them (Filipinos) and momentarily made them forget their problems,” he said.

Tacujan also recalls that during the match, acclaimed boxing journalist Ed Schuyler told him: “You should be proud this fight happened here. Twenty-five years from now, they’ll be talking about this fight in Manila.”

“It’s been 40 years, and they are still talking about this fight,” said Tacujan. AFP

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Volleyball is now mandatory in NCAA VOLLEYBALL will be one of the four mandatory sports in the National Collegiate Athletic Association starting this year.

NCAA Management Committee chairman Jose Mari Lacson of Season 92 host San Beda said the board has officially approved volleyball as the fourth sport branded as mandatory along with basketball, swimming and centerpiece athletics.

“It’s approved,” said Lacson.

While it will be approved in the men’s and women’s in the seniors’ division, volleyball will only be mandatory in 2018.

The decision was spurred by the recent emergence of volleyball as a popular sport.

Also, the NCAA is mulling the possibility of making all its calendared sports mandatory for all members in the future.

“The NCAA’s goal is increase participation not just in a few sports but all and the NCAA plans to make it all mandatory sports in the future,” said Mancom member Peter Cayco of Arellano University.

“The NCAA started with volleyball first because all schools are already active when it comes to volleyball,” he added.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic lays flat on the clay court after winning the men’s final match against Britain’s Andy Murray at the Roland Garros 2016 French Tennis Open in Paris. AFP

Novak insists: Grand Slam achievable PARIS—Novak Djokovic insists the enticing prospect of becoming only the third man to sweep a calendar Grand Slam and the first since Rod Laver in 1969 is “achievable”.

The world number one captured a first French Open at the 12th time of asking on Sunday, becoming just the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time.

The 29-year-old’s 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Andy Murray allowed him to claim a 12th major and join Don Budge, in 1938, and Laver, in 1962 and 1969, as

the only players to simultaneously possess the French Open, Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon trophies.

“Well, I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I really think everything is achievable in life,” said the Serb.

“You know, winning this trophy today gave me so much happiness and fulfilment. I’m trying to grasp

and I’m trying to cherish, obviously, these moments right now.

Whether or not I can reach a calendar slam, that’s still a possibility.”

The last player to even have the chance of a calendar Grand Slam at this stage of the season was America’s Jim Courier who won the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back in 1992.

But he failed while even the likes of Djokovic’s biggest contemporary rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have never yet even held all four majors at the same time even though they have completed career Grand Slams.

Djokovic’s first French Open title came after heartbreaking losses in his three previous finals in Paris.

But his 12 majors—six in Australia, three at Wimbledon, two at the US Open and now one in Paris—have taken him to within five of Federer’s record of 17 while he is just two off the 14 held by Nadal and Pete Sampras.

“It’s incredibly flattering to know that Rod Laver is the last one that managed to do it (the calendar Slam). It’s one of the ultimate challenges that you have as a tennis player,” added Djokovic

who endured a nervous conclusion to Sunday’s final.

He served for the title at 5-2 in the fourth set before Murray broke and held to get to 4-5.

The world number one then double-faulted on a first match point and went wide with a nerveracked forehand on the second.

But Murray then netted a backhand after a lengthy rally and Djokovic’s place in the history books was confirmed.

Djokovic said he was so stressed in the closing stages that he felt he was having an out of body experience.

24th Shell Youth Active Chess slated Foton-PH team formed SHELL, a global leader in power and energy, reaffirms its commitment to help develop chess and discover and produce future stars as it holds the 24th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships with another five-leg circuit spread over key cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Coming off a successful staging of its first-ever three-category competition last year, organizers of the country’s longest-running talent-search brace for another banner season in terms of participation

Man vs beast.

Spanish matador Alberto Lopez Simon is terrified as a bull is about to gore him during the San Isidro Feria at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid.

and quality of play with maximum entries expected in each of the five qualifying stages leading to the grand finals in October.

The National Capital Region leg kicks off the upcoming nationwide circuit on June 11 and 12 at SM Megamall Event Center with the top three players in kiddies, juniors and seniors divisions and the bestplaced female competitor gaining berths in the national finals set Oct. 1 and 2, also at SM Megamall.

“We expect another full-packed

field this year, especially with chess becoming popular again among the youth,” said Melanie Bularan, Social Performance and Social Investment Manager of Pilipinas Shell. “This is one of Shell’s innovative and sustainable programs for nationbuilding and we are hoping to continue discovering new talents from an ever-growing number of players now taking up the sport, especially at this stage when the tournament is set to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017.”

for Asian Club spikefest FOTON will be bannered by a fine mix of veterans and newcomers in international tournaments when it takes part in the coming Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship to be hosted by the Philippines in September.

The team will be led by last year’s Most Valuable Player import Lindsay Stalzer and another explosive import in Ariel Usher and top local players, including the entire Foton team, led by Jaja Santiago, Angelie Araneta, Ivy Perez, Patty Jane Orendain, Fatima Bia General, and new recruits EJ Laure and Cherry Ann Rondina.

Reinforcements from other PSL teams are Abby Marano from F2 Logistics, Rachel Ann Daquis, who plays for RC Cola, and Petron’s Jennelyn Reyes, together with the rest of the Foton team in Maika Ortiz, Fatima, Rhea Dimaculangan, Carol Cerveza, May Macatuno, Kara Acevedo and Danna Henson.

The Foton-Pilipinas lineup has been described as competitive by team manager Alvin Lu.

Foton management decided to include the entire Foton team, some of them as reserve players, for the additional training opportunity and team bonding with plans to bring the Foton-Pilipinas team for a week of training and tune up games in Thailand in August as part of the preparations for the Asian championship.

“I’m very proud of all our players and our three guest players from the other teams when we invited them to join and participate with Foton Pilipinas. Lahat hindi na nagdalawang isip dahil bansa ang pinaguusapan dito. I’m sure all of them will have bigger names after they represent the flag lalo na at dito sa Pilipinas gagawin. All their followers will appreciate their contribution,” said Lu. Foton earned the right to represent the country in the prestigious international women’s volleyball tournament after winning the PSL Open tournament last year, dethroning defending champion Petron in the process.

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Tabal seeks PH team reinstatement

By Peter Atencio

MARY Joy Tabal has promised to seek reinstatement with the national team.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president Philip Ella Juico said this as the 26-year-old long distance runner returned home to Cebu City on Monday.

Juico said he is now waiting for Tabal’s letter so the PATAFA can act accordingly.

“She said she will forward a letter. Nag-usap na kami (Tabal’s

sponsors),” said Juico following talks with Moto Ace Philippines executive Jonel Borromeo, a Cebu-based businessman.

Tabal made the Olympic qualifying standard in the 2016 Scotia Bank Marathon in Ottawa two weekends ago.

But Juico said he is still unsure of her status with the national delegation to be sent to the 2016

Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Since Tabal met the qualifying Olympic standard, the PATAFA is now confirming her status with the IAAF. Tabal was training on her own after she resigned from the national team last December.

Tabal, who is training under coach, triathlete Philip Duenas, said she will resume preparations again once his issues with the national team have been ironed out.

She plans to go back to Japan to train for the Olympiad.

“For Rio, I already planned on going back to Japan as soon as

maayos na ‘yung status ko,” added Tabal, confident of making it to the PH team.

Juico said long jumper Marestella Torres-Sunang will now have to join qualifiers in Kyrgyztan and Kazakhstan in the coming weeks to assure herself of a place in the national team.

Her status is in jeopardy after she was given an universality slot earlier on the premise that no one other Filipino female athlete will qualify for the Olympics.

If Tabal is confirmed for Rio, Torres-Sunang’s universality slot will be cancelled.

PH spikers against the world. Proponents of the Philippines vs. The World Beach Volleyball Republic Invitational are shown during the

Hamed-Fajardo faceoff may have to wait

By Jeric Lopez WHILE he still anticipates a tough match against Iran in Smart Gilas Pilipinas’ coming tune-up games, June Mar Fajardo will not be able to face the one he was looking forward to competing against.

Longtime Iran star center Hamed Haddadi won’t be around when Gilas Pilipinas takes on his Iranian National team as he didn’t take the trip to Manila due to personal matters back home.

Smart Gilas will take on Iran in a closedsession practice game today, while in another tune-up game is set tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, wherein the event will be opened to the public.

That will be the first time that the public will see this version of Smart Gilas play a whole game as the team continues its buildup and training for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament.

Once Fajardo, the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player of the Philippine Basketball Association and nationally recognized as the best player in the country today, learned that Gilas will have a pair of games against Iran, he immediately knew it will be a chance for him to test himself against Haddadi, who was a former National Basketball Association player.

But with Haddadi missing this trip, Fajardo won’t have the chance to sharper his saw against the gigantic 7-foot-2 slotman.

tournament’s launching on Monday. They are (from left) Alexa Micek, Fille Cayetano, Bea Tan, Invitational BVR Tournament Director Tony Boy Liao, BVR Spokesperson Charo Soriano, Dzi Gervacio and Gretchen Ho. LINO SANTOS

Forum tackles Jet Spikers grab share of Shakey’s volley lead SBP’s 3-on-3 tilt Games tomorrow 4 p.m. – BaliPure vs Iriga 6:30 p.m. – UP vs Baguio

AIR Force bucked an opening-set struggle and imposed its will in the next two as it completed a straight-set 27-25, 25-19, 25-17 victory over University of the Philippines to

regain a share of the lead with idle Pocari Sweat in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

The Jet Spikers went to their hot-spiking foursome of Jocemer Tapic, Judy Ann Caballejo, Dell Palomata and Joy Cases to overcome the Lady Maroons’ fiery start

and superb blocking as they scored a follow-up to their 25-15, 25-19, 25-18 romp over the Baguio Summer Spikers over the weekend.

It was Air Force’s third straight win, including a four-setter over an undermanned BaliPure last week, tying Pocari Sweat in the lead while bolstering its semifinal chances in the

season-opening conference of the country’s premier women’s league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Tapic fired 15 hits, Caballejo added 14 markers and Palomata and Cases combined for 18 points as the Jet Spikers finished with 41 attacks points against their rivals’ 25 while ramming in eight aces against UP’s three.

The Lady Maroons produced seven blocks, the bulk they made in the opening frame which they controlled majority of the way before the Jet Spikers regrouped and forced a 24all count before winning three of the last four points, including a lucky serve that hit the net and a Cases kill, to steal the set.

The greatest champion of all time LOCKER ROOM RANDY CALUAG THE people’s admiration of Muhammad Ali has remained to this day, long after his exploits on the ring.

That’s a rarity in the sports world. Only a few achieve such kind of adulation.

Sports transcends life, but nobility in being a champion is to believe in something bigger to achieve a greater cause. Ali was that kind of man.

It was not just about personal glory. Not just about the money or fortune, a championship trophy, belt or ring could bring.

“I am the greatest,” Ali said.

And he was.

A three-time world champion, he floated like a butterfly and

stung like a bee. To me, his biggest contribution was when he fought for equality.

He refused to go to war against the North Vietnamese and, paid dearly for it.

Here’s what he had to say: “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?

No, I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or my-

self by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality…. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.”

For sticking for what he believed in, Ali was stripped of his WBA world heavyweight title and nearly destroyed his boxing career.

He came back a bigger man three years later and no one dared question his principles anymore.

There were great champions who had come in the post-Ali era.

Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao. They all fought and won lots of money, along with glory, but they were nothing like Ali. *** After absorbing thousands of

punches and battling Parkinson’s Disease, Ali died last Friday (US time) at the age of 74.

And for everything that he had done, the most iconic name in sports publishing, Sports Illustrated, is giving him a tribute, one last time. The 62-year-old US sports magazine will have Ali gracing its cover for the 40th time for its June 13 issue.

Paul Fictenbaum of Sports Illustrated had this to say.

“Muhammad Ali was a singular force of athletics, humanitarianism and social equality unlike anyone in our history. He was a fighter, and a champion, yet many of his most important victories came outside the ring. His legacy defines the very best of who we are and aspire to be.”

To me Ali, was not just the greatest boxer of his generation, he was also the greatest champion of all time.

SAMAHANG Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios will talk about the coming National 3-on-3 Finals when he leads the guests in today’s Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at Shakey’s Malate.

The National 3-on-3 Finals will take place on June 9 at the Mall of Asia. Barrios will also field questions regarding Gilas Pilipinas’ preparations for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament scheduled July 5 to 10 at the MOA Arena.

Also appearing in the weekly forum aired live over DZSR Sports Radio 918 and presented

by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation are members of the Philippine team that won medals in the recent Test of Will Fitness Championships in Singapore.

Christine Majadillas, managing director of One of a Kind Marketing, Under Armour Sports Southeast Asia leading marketing arm in the Philippines, will accompany the Pinoy medalists.

Rounding up the guests in the 10:30 a.m. forum are members of the Philippine Muay team that vied in the recent World Muay Thai Championships in Sweden, and the winners of the PSA Sportswriting contest sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT of AGRARIAN REFORM ELLIPTICAL ROAD, DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY • TELS. 928-7031 TO 39 Department of Agrarian Reform ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 07 Series of 2016 SUBJECT: THE RULES AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE VOLUNTARY TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS COVERED BY A CERTIFICATE OF LAND OWNERSHIP AWARD OR AN EMANCIPATION PATENT PRIOR TO THE TERMINATION OF THE HOLDING PERIOD PREFATORY STATEMENT Republic Act (R.A.) No. 6657, as amended, specifically Section 27 thereof, provides that lands awarded through any agrarian reform program may only be transferred through hereditary succession, or to the government or other qualified beneficiaries within ten (10) years from its award and prior to the full payment of the amortization.

This Administrative Order (A.O.) is issued covering voluntary transfers of these types of awarded lands to another qualified beneficiary.

ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS SECTION 1. Coverage. – These rules of procedure (“Rules”) shall apply to all cases involving the voluntary transfer of awarded lands to a private person during the holding period.

The transfer through intestate succession and testate succession of legitimes to compulsory heirs during the holding period, however, shall be governed by A.O. No. 06, Series of 2016.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of these Rules, the following terms are defined, to wit: 2.1. Awarded Land – refers to an agricultural land distributed through an agrarian reform program of the State. This includes landholdings covered by Certificates of Landownership Award (CLOAs) and Emancipation Patents (EPs). However, agricultural lands with a Certificate of Land Transfer (CLT) but without a registered EP yet, are not considered as Awarded Land under this A.O. 2.2. Holding Period – refers to the period of time commencing from the date of registration of the EP, CLOA, or other Title issued pursuant to an agrarian reform program of the State until the lapse of ten (10) calendar years AND the payment of the amortization1 thereof, whichever comes later.2 ARTICLE II STATEMENT OF POLICIES AND RULES SECTION 3. Statement of Policies and Rules. – The transferability of agricultural land awarded to farmers/ARBs during the holding period shall be governed by the following policies: 3.1 As a general rule, the transfer of ownership of all Awarded Lands to a private person during the holding period is prohibited unless the transferee is a qualified beneficiary. The following transfers are not covered by the abovementioned general restrictions: 3.1.1. Transfer via intestate succession; 3.1.2 Transfer of legitimes to compulsory heirs 3.2 The determination of whether the transferee is qualified to be a beneficiary is within the jurisdiction of the DAR. Section 22 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended, and the pertinent rules and procedures of the Department shall be the standard in the aforementioned determination.

3.3 The transferee shall assume the obligation of the transferor to pay the remaining amortization, if any, to the LBP or, in case of a VLT/DPS, to the landowner.

Should the transfer be conducted through methods other than hereditary succession, the transferor, at his option, may demand the transferee to pay the amount he has already paid to the LBP or, in case of a VLT/ DPS, to the landowner.

3.4. Pursuant to DOJ Opinion No. 59, Series of 2015, no Awarded Land may be mortgaged prior to the termination of the holding period.

3.5. The DAR shall generate an EP or CLOA, as the case may be, in the name of the transferee, which in turn shall be registered with the Registry of Deeds for the transferee’s Certificate of Title.

3.6. Upon the registration of the Title in the name of the transferee, the ten year period limiting transfers shall begin anew. The transferee/s shall only assume the transferor’s balance of the amortization to the LBP or, in case of Voluntary Land Transfer (VLT) or Direct Payment Scheme (DPS), to the previous landowner.

3.7. The farmer/ARB who transfers his/her awarded land to another private person shall by reason thereof be disqualified to be a beneficiary of another landholding to be distributed by the DAR subsequent to the transfer.

4. A waiver by an ARB of his/her ownership rights over an awarded land in favor of another person shall hereby be deemed as a transfer and shall be subject to these rules, including the prohibitions hereto.

5. The cancellation of an EP or CLOA of the transferor due to a voluntary act of its owner need not be ordered by the Secretary of the DAR. ARTICLE III FILING, PROCESSING, AND ISSUANCE OF TRANSFER CLEARANCE SECTION 4.

Documentary Requirements.

– In the application for a clearance on the transfer of an awarded land, the following documents must be submitted: 1. Filled-up application form for a clearance on the transfer of awarded land which must be signed by both the transferor3 and the transferee(s), which shall state, among others: 1.1. the name, address, and personal circumstances of the transferor and the transferee; 1 As intended by Section 26 of R.A. No. 6657.

2 These are concurring requirements. Therefore, the holding period is not deemed terminated after the lapse of the ten-year period alone or upon the full payment of the amortization alone.

3 In case of transfer via hereditary succession, only the transferee(s) are required to sign the application form.

1.2. the fact that the subject land is a an awarded land; 1.3. the fact that the ten-year period has yet to elapse and/ or that the amortization has yet to be paid fully; 1.4. the location, size in hectares, and the title number of the EP/CLOA covering the lot; 1.5. crop/s planted on the land; and 1.6. In case only a portion of the landholding covered by the Title is being transferred: 1.6.1. the area of the portion being transferred vis-àvis the total area covered by the Title; 1.6.2. the technical description of the portion being transferred; and 1.6.3. a general sketch of the land covered by the Title indicating therein the portion being transferred.

2. If applicable, proof of authority of the person applying by the transferor or the transferee; 3. Certified true copy of the Title of the landholding being transferred; 4. Photocopy of the latest valid government-issued identification card of both the transferor and the transferee bearing their picture and signature.

5. A document executed by the transferor and the transferee showing the intended transfer, such as, among others, the contract to sell; 6. In case the amortization to the LBP or, in case of VLT/ DPS, to the landowner, has already been partially or fullypaid, a notarized agreement, whether as part of the deed of conveyance or not, that: 6.1. the transferee will fully or partially pay the transferor the full amount of the amortization to the LBP or, in case of VLT/DPS, the landowner, already paid by the transferor; or 6.2. the transferor is waiving his/her right to be reimbursed by the transferee of the amount of the amortization to the LBP or, in case of VLT/DPS, the landowner, he/ she has already paid; 7. A certification from the LBP stating the amount of the amortization already paid and the amount of balance, if any; 8. Photographs required under Section 5 hereof; 9. Four (4) duplicate original copies of an affidavit executed by the transferee stating that: 9.1. he/she is a farmer or tiller residing within the same barangay as the landholding, or, in case he/she is not a resident of the barangay, is a resident of the same municipality as where the landholding is located and that based on his personal knowledge there are no other qualified beneficiaries residing within the barangay; and 9.2. he/she and his/her spouse and children have no other landholdings or, in case they have a landholding, does not own a total area of more than three (3) hectares, inclusive of the land to be acquired.

The transferor and transferee may submit other documents which they believe can support their application pursuant to the rules and principles provided in Article II hereof.

SECTION 5. Installation of Notice with Respect to Transfers.

– The transferor and/or the transferee must cause the production of a sturdy billboard, measuring no smaller than 60.96cm x 91.44 cm (2 x 3 feet), containing the following (in English and the major dialect in the area): “To all concerned, [Original/Transfer] Certificate of Title No. [EP/CLOA]________________ registered in the name of [name of transferor] is intended to be transferred to [name of transferee].

[Name of transferee] is a Filipino, who resides in this [barangay/municipality], an actual farmer/tiller, and is landless. Any person who has information that the said statement is false is requested to inform the DAR immediately through [state address and telephone number of the Municipal Office or Provincial Office]. [(In case the transferee is not a resident of the same barangay:) No other person who is landless and an actual farmer/tiller residing in this barangay is interested to buy this lot from (name of transferor).]

Removal of this Notice is punishable under Sections 73 (d) and 74 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended.

[Name of Transferor]” and install the same at a conspicuous location along the premises of the landholding within seven consecutive (7) days immediately prior to the filing of the Application. He shall thereafter take at least four (4) photographs of the same notice from different directions and submit them to the PARPO together with all the necessary documents.

The transferor and/or the transferee must not remove the said Notice until the DAR Clearance has been issued, unless they are no longer interested to pursue such Clearance.

SECTION 6. Filing of Application. – An application for a transfer clearance may be filed by the heirs in the DARPO which has jurisdiction over where the landholding is located. All documents required under Section 4 hereof must be submitted, otherwise it will not be accepted by the DARPO but will rather be returned to the applicant indicating to them the lacking documents.

SECTION 7. Processing of the Application. – The application shall be processed by the DARPO upon receipt of the application and the documents required.

During the processing of the application in the determination of the appropriateness of issuing a DAR Clearance (prior to its issuance), the DARPO, by itself, or through the DARMO, shall investigate the qualification of the transferee. It shall also conduct an ocular investigation to determine if the posting of notice has been posted.

During the conduct of the investigation of the DARPO/DARMO, a Notice stating the intended transfer and the alleged qualification of the transferee shall be posted by the Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer (MARPO) or any other DAR personnel authorized by the PARPO for seven (7) days at the Barangay Hall where the landholding covered is located. The MARPO or such other DAR personnel shall include in the Investigation Report the fact and date and time of the posting thereof at the bulletin board of the said Barangay Hall and at the premises, which report shall be accompanied by a certificate of posting (containing, among others, the date when the notice was posted at the bulletin board) to be executed by the pertinent Barangay officer.

If the request for DAR Clearance and the documents/ information are in order and validated and the qualification of the intended beneficiary is verified in the Investigation Report, and if no objection is filed within fifteen (15) days from the first day of the posting of the abovementioned Notices, the DARPO/ DARMO shall submit a copy of the Investigation Report to the Barangay Agrarian Reform Committee (BARC), or, in case there is no BARC, the Barangay Council, for its certification of the qualification of the transferee.

Upon receipt of the certification of the BARC, should it certify the qualification of the transferee, the DARMO or DARPO shall take the necessary action for the execution of the Application to Purchase and Farmer Undertaking of the intended transferee and shall prepare for the transferee’s oath-taking with the proper municipal/city judge.

Within fifteen (15) days after the posting of the abovementioned Notices, any member of the public may file a written protest against the qualification of the transferee. The transferee shall be duly notified by the PARPO of the proceedings and the decision. The PARPO shall conduct compulsory arbitration within ten (10) days from receipt of said protest to resolve the same. The PARPO’s decision shall be final insofar as the transfer is concerned, copy of which shall be furnished to the parties concerned.

The authority of the PARPO to decide is specifically limited to protests and petitions on the transferee’s qualifications to be as such. After the compulsory arbitration phase, other issues related to the transferee’s qualifications under specific issuances shall be filed as an agrarian law implementation (ALI) case to the Regional Director (RD).

Any person who disagrees with the PARPO’s decision/s or order/s may file a verified petition for inclusion/exclusion against the transferee therein in accordance with existing ALI rules.

SECTION 8. Recommendation. – Upon verification that the request is in order, the PARPO shall recommend to the RD for the approval of the transfer.

SECTION 9. Approval. – Upon verification that the request is in order, the Regional Director (RD) shall sign the DAR Clearance to Transfer.

The RD shall issue four (4) original copies of the DAR Clearance to Transfer, one of which shall be transmitted to the Registry of Deeds together with the generated EP/CLOA, another which shall be retained by the DARRO, the third which shall be sent to the BLTI for monitoring purposes, and the fourth which shall be transmitted to the Barangay Agrarian Reform Council (BARC).

The duplicate original copies of the affidavit stated in Section 4, item 9 shall be attached to the Clearances.

The decision of the RD in denying the request for a DAR Clearance to Transfer may be appealed to the Office of the Secretary.

SECTION 10. Generation and Registration of EP/CLOA. – Upon approval of the request, the appropriate EP/CLOA in the name of the transferee(s) shall be generated.

The DARRO shall thereafter cause the transmittal of one copy of the DAR Clearance to Transfer and the generated EP/CLOA in the name of the transferee for the registration of the latter.

ARTICLE V GROUNDS FOR ANNULLING A DAR CLEARANCE SECTION 11. Grounds for Annulling a DAR Clearance. – The Secretary, through a Cancellation of EP/CLOA case, may annul a DAR Clearance to Transfer, and accordingly render the transfer void, in the following cases: (1) Violation of any of the provisions stated in the Statement of Policies and Rules considering the facts and circumstances of the transfer; (2) Misrepresentation of any facts required by this AO; and/or (3) Submission to the DAR of forged or sham documents.

The decision of the Secretary may be appealed in accordance with the rules and procedures in Cancellation of EP/CLOA Cases.

ARTICLE VI NO APPLICATION FEES SECTION 12. No Application Fees. – No fees shall be required by the DAR in the application for a DAR Clearance to Transfer pursuant to these Rules.

ARTICLE VII FINAL PROVISIONS SECTION 13. Citizen’s Charter. – The Finance, Planning, and Administrative Office is directed to make a standard design of flowcharts of the procedures set by this A.O. within thirty (30) days from the effectivity of these Rules.

All regional, provincial, and municipal offices of the DAR are hereby directed to print and place the abovementioned standard flowcharts in a conspicuous location in or around their office within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the said design.

The Undersecretary for Field Operations shall be responsible for ensuring that this provision is implemented.

SECTION 14. Repealing Clause. – All orders, circulars, rules and regulations, and issuances or portions thereof that are inconsistent herewith, such as A.O. No. 8, Series of 1995, are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 15. Separability Clause. – Any judicial pronouncement declaring as unconstitutional any provision of these Rules shall have no effect on the validity of the other provisions not affected thereby.

SECTION 16. Effectivity Clause. – These Rules shall take effect ten (10) days after publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

31 May 2016. Diliman, Quezon City.

VIRGILIO R. DELOS REYES Secretary

Standard – June 7, 2016

T U E S DAY : J U N E 7, 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS Green stars as Warriors rout Cavs for 2-0 lead OAKLAND—Golden State Warriors sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, nicknamed the “Splash Brothers” for their skill at sinking 3-pointers, welcomed Draymond Green as an adopted soggy sibling Sunday at the NBA Finals.

Green scored a game-high 28 points, his 11-of-20 shooting from the floor including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, to spark the defending champion Warriors over Cleveland 110-77, giving Golden State a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

“If the game says shoot, you’re supposed to shoot, because usually when you don’t it turns into a disaster,” Green said. “My teammates trust me to take those shots. They

find me (with passes). It’s up to me to knock them down.”

Curry scored 18 points and Thompson added 17 with both hitting 4-of-8 3-pointers, but when the Cavaliers defenders cracked down on the Splash duo, they flipped passes to Green and he took full advantage, producing his best scoring total in a Finals game.

“Tonight he was one of us, especially the shots he made off the dribble for three. Those aren’t easy

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors gestures to the bench during the Dubs’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the 2016 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

fading away,” Thompson said. “He had an amazing game.”

Green scored 18 points in the first half, nine of them in a 20-2 second-quarter run that put the Warriors ahead to stay.

“They were really collapsing on Steph and Klay,” Green said. “They found me in a great spot to knock shots down.”

Green handled Cleveland’s defensive pressure as well when the Cavaliers moved to shut him down.

“The guy made shots, not only when we left him open and contested late but he made shots in our face,” Cleveland star LeBron James said.

“We know he’s a key for their team.”

Carried away Even Green admits he got a bit carried away on one of his long

shots, picking up the ball off a dribble and fading back from beyond the 3-point arc only to watch the shot amazing fall through the hoop.

“The one I danced at the top a little bit and shot the three, awful shot. It was pathetic,” Green said.

“But everybody stopped moving so I thought I’m going to get some shot up and it happened to go in.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr loved watching Green shine, most of the time.

“Draymond was great,” Kerr said. “The only one I didn’t love was the one off the dribble from the top of the key. The others were all great. We like it when he gets that shot in rhythm and he knocked

them down tonight.”

Green didn’t want to characterize his run as channeling Curry, saying, “Steve Kerr wouldn’t like it if I’m channeling my inner Steph Curry.”

Curry was laughing on the bench, burying his face in a towel at times as Green sank his shots.

“The one stepback one, that’s where I kind of lost my mind,” Curry said. “We needed that push to separate ourselves and he provided it for sure.”

But has he done enough to join the “Splash Brothers” family for good?

“It has been three or four years he has been with us, so I want him to keep shooting,” Curry said. “He has got some work to do.” AFP

Baniqued, Borlain fastest in Ironkids Duathon JUAN Francisco Baniqued and Tara Borlain ruled the showcase boys’ and girls’ 13-14 years old category of the 2016 Alaska IronKids Duathlon at Subic, Zambales last weekend.

Other winners in the boys’ category include Clifford Pusing (11-12), Michael Gabriel Lozada (9-10) and Daniel Louw (6-8). Other winners in the girls’ category are Gene Heart Bukid (11-12), Aubrey Tom (9-10) and Zurielle Kenzie Galo (6-8).

Alaska IronKids is the biggest most exciting race of its kind for young boys and girls six to 14 years old. Almost three hundred participants came from all over the Philippines—with entries

coming from as far north as Echague, Isabela and Villasis, Pangasinan and from as far south as Liloan, Cebu and Malaybalay City, Bukidnon—to join the event.

The race commenced with a 400-meter swim at the Olympic size, 50-meter WOW Pool behind Remy Field and concluded with the four-kilometer run along the roads of the former US Naval base in Subic.

The Alaska IronKids Duathlon in Subic included a Race Category (with Podium Medals) in four age groups for boys and girls; and a Play Category (finisher’s medal but no age categories) of short distance to promote outdoor

play and increase participation for non-competitive participants.

Alaska IronKids encourages children to drop their video game consoles, cellphones, stop watching TV inside their living rooms and invites them to swim, bike and run outdoors to play instead.

But more than just a race, Alaska IronKids is a venue for families to bond in a shared activity, giving the parents a chance to show their children that being physically fit and healthy is more fun. It also fosters the importance of starting the day right with a combination of exercise and proper nutrition.

Juan Francisco Baniqued (right) sprints past his rival near the finish line.

TUESDAY: JUNE 7, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

B1

Philtrak proposes new mass transit

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Security Bank awards. The International Association of Business Communicators Philippines awarded Security Bank with three distinctions during the Philippine Quill Awards 2015 awarding ceremony held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport City. Receiving the awards are (from left) first vice president Patricia Tan, senior assistant vice president Rica Baello, executive vice president Belen Lim, executive vice president Maki Tingson, senior vice president Melissa Aquino, senior vice president Daniel Yu, program manager Mel Cordova and vice president Michael Gamo.

New finance chief reassures investors

INCOMING finance chief Carlos Dominguez sought to reassure investors that his new boss is a pragmatic leader who’ll build on the gains that’s made the Southeast Asian economy one of the fastest growing in the world.

While president-elect Rodrigo Duterte makes the headlines mainly for his brashness, foul language and anti-crime rhetoric—including threats to kill criminals—Dominguez wants investors to look beyond that to Duterte’s track record as mayor of Davao City. Duterte plans to spread the policies that helped the wider Davao region, which includes the city, expand 9.4 percent in 2014, the fastest in the country, he said.

“He has done it by, first of all, assuring there is peace and order, that the laws are fair and uniformly implemented and he has been business friendly,” Dominguez, a childhood friend of Duterte and a former agriculture secretary under the late President Corazon Aquino in the 1980s, said in an interview in Manila on June 3.

“You can ask the medium- and small-sized businesses and I think they will all tell you that the president-elect runs a city where the red tape is minimal, where corruption is absent in all levels, where the laws are strictly implemented,” he said. “Just look at that and judge for yourselves.”

Duterte, who will take office on June 30, inherits an economy that grew faster than China last quarter, won its first investment-grade credit rating under outgoing President Benigno Aquino and has ample fiscal room for the new government to boost spending. Duterte plans to pursue policies that will create jobs, boost economic growth and lead to higher credit ratings, Dominguez said.

“We are going to certainly keep the successful macroeconomic policies that have allowed our ratings to be improved, that have stabilized our finances,” he said. The new government will seek at least another two rating upgrades, he said.

Dominguez, a 70-year-old businessman who owns Marco Polo Hotel in Davao, outlined plans to cut income taxes and increase borrowing as the new government seeks to invest more in infrastructure and create more jobs. The unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in January, among the highest in Asia.

“The big elephant in the room here is the underemployment and the unemployment and we have to grow faster to give those guys more participation in the economy,” he said.

“We have to make sure we have strong investment in human capital, in physical capital where we encourage competition, where the business regulations are not restrictive and where we look toward creating that environment and confidence in the Philippines.”

Duterte won the May elections with his tough talk to fight crime and deal decisively with transport bottlenecks, especially traffic-clogged roads in Metro Manila. The economy, which expanded 6.9 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier, is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to grow 6 percent in 2016.

Ben Diokno, who will take over the budget portfolio, said in an interview last week the new government is seeking to cut income taxes and borrow more as it widens the budget deficit to a “comfortable” target of 3 percent of gross domestic product. That would be the biggest shortfall since 2010.

Dominguez said he was open to borrowing in dol-

lars and local currency and might consider diversifying to yuan and sukuk debt, depending on what is the “best deal.”

The government will focus on boosting tax revenue, with Dominguez saying he has strong confidence in the new tax and customs chiefs.

Bloomberg

A CONSORTIUM led by Philtrak Inc. on Monday proposed a P170-billion nationwide open tunnel transport system to resolve the country’s traffic congestion.

Philtrak president Francis Yuseco said in a letter to incoming Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade the Philippines Integrated Trackways Systems would transport people, agricultural products and cargoes across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao via a network of interconnected open tunnels.

Yuseco, the inventor of the project, said it could be done as early as Christmas 2016, depending on how fast the administration of President-elect Rodrgio Duterte could implement it.

Other members of the consortium are Del Monte Motor Works Corp., Del Monte Land Transport Inc., Micrologics Systems Inc., Versatech Engineering Consultants Inc. and Land Excel Cooperation.

Yuseco said the open space tunnels would be completely walled-in, with regular opening slots to allow the entry and exit of specially designed passenger vehicles, cargo freights and farmers and fisherfolks-owned refrigerated and non-refrigerated vans.

“The entry and exist of all these vans and vehicles are pre-programmed with the local stations or base of the farmers and fishermen’s cooperative with a central command post armed with a hardware and software monitoring and data keeping program,” he said.

TUESDAY: JUNE 7, 2016

B2

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Monday, June 6, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 2.6 890 1.01 100 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 1.02 625 0.225 78 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 26 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 10.02 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 1455 7.5 76 9.25 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.26 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 5.6 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 2.8 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 4 3.8 45.9 45.3 106.00 104.30 96.00 94.15 37.8 37.1 3.04 3.04 1.40 1.38 14.2 14.1 17.26 16.9 7.29 7.29 1.9 1.81 610.00 610.00 0.570 0.550 87.4 86.05 15.00 14.92 51.20 50.15 101.7 98.05 264 262 31.6 30.85 201.8 196.8 64.75 64.15 1.54 1.55 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.6 46.95 47.05 Agrinurture Inc. 3.74 3.74 3.45 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 0.88 0.88 Alsons Cons.

1.93 1.93 1.9 Asiabest Group 11.9 11.98 11.6 Bogo Medelin 55.6 55.65 55.62 Century Food 21.4 22.15 21.6 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 197 206 191 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 17.78 18.48 17.8 Concepcion 46.8 47 47 Crown Asia 2.09 2.12 2.08 Da Vinci Capital 5.4 4 5.66 Del Monte 11.48 11.48 11.4 DNL Industries Inc. 9.650 9.950 9.650 Emperador 7.15 7.30 7.15 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.58 5.67 5.61 EEI 7.44 7.46 7.40 First Gen Corp.

22.7 23 22.75 First Holdings ‘A’ 67 67.45 66.95 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.22 12.20 12.20 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.22 15.28 15.10 5.71 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.75 5.75 Ionics Inc 2.240 2.270 2.200 Jollibee Foods Corp.

230.00 233.40 231.00 Liberty Flour 40.00 36.00 34.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.38 3.48 3.06 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.75 27.9 27.35 Maxs Group 28.2 29 27.9 Megawide 6.55 6.6 6.53 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 316.00 315.00 311.20 MG Holdings 0.265 0.275 0.270 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.12 4.25 4.20 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.5 3.52 3.45 Petron Corporation 11.80 11.86 11.70 Phil H2O 3.06 3.06 3.06 Phinma Corporation 11.64 11.62 11.54 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.27 5.26 5.14 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.80 1.84 1.80 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.83 2.86 2.8 RFM Corporation 4.25 4.25 4.20 Roxas Holdings 4.29 4.28 4.28 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 219 218.6 210.4 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.51 2.5 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.152 0.152 0.152 TKC Steel Corp.

1.77 1.79 1.70 Trans-Asia Oil 2.57 2.62 2.48 Universal Robina 199.9 203 199.9 Victorias Milling 4.8 4.64 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.88 0.92 0.89 Vivant Corp.

31.50 30.60 30.60 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.26 1.26 1.24 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.390 0.400 0.380 Aboitiz Equity 77.90 78.50 77.90 Alliance Global Inc. 15.68 15.80 15.42 Anglo Holdings A 1.15 1.16 1.11 Anscor `A’ 6.00 5.97 5.95 ATN Holdings A 0.385 0.385 0.375 ATN Holdings B 0.385 0.395 0.375 Ayala Corp `A’ 845 860 844.5 Cosco Capital 7.89 8 7.9 DMCI Holdings 12.76 12.78 12.64 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.20 6.44 6.20 GT Capital 1411 1439 1412 House of Inv. 6.32 6.32 6.30 JG Summit Holdings 83.50 84.25 83.70 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.85 7.86 7.62 LT Group 15.5 16 15.52 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.08 6.15 6.06 Pacifica `A’ 0.0320 0.0330 0.0320 Prime Media Hldg 1.410 1.280 1.280 Prime Orion 1.810 1.810 1.800 San Miguel Corp `A’ 77.95 78.60 78.00 973.50 995.00 980.50 SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. 1.19 1.17 1.16 South China Res. Inc. 0.81 0.85 0.85 Top Frontier 181.000 182.000 175.100 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3100 0.3100 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2000 0.2000 0.1980 Zeus Holdings 0.340 0.365 0.340 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.900 7.950 7.900 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.40 1.45 1.32 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.490 2.550 2.460 Arthaland Corp.

0.285 0.290 0.280 Ayala Land `B’ 36.500 37.900 36.500 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.19 3.31 3.22 Cebu Holdings 5.15 5.16 5.16 Cebu Prop. `A’ 5.73 5.73 5.73 Century Property 0.510 0.52 0.500 City & Land Dev. 0.98 0.95 0.95 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.000 1.060 1.020 Crown Equities Inc. 0.132 0.137 0.131 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.530 0.580 0.540 Double Dragon 55.9 57.75 55.95 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Union Bank Vantage Equities

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

Close

SHARES 10,878,259 95,238,680 87,239,652 178,673,251 231,462,835 1,413,087,850 2,019,255,240

3.78 45.7 104.00 94.00 37.9 3.00 1.43 14.1 16.78 7.18 1.94 610.00 0.540 86 15.00 51.00 101.9 262 31.45 202.6 64.50 1.58

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Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.99 45.9 105.70 96.00 37.7 3.04 1.40 14.2 17.12 7.29 1.81 610.00 0.570 87.05 15.00 50.50 101.6 262 31.5 199 64.25 1.54

5.56 0.44 1.63 2.13 -0.53 1.33 -2.10 0.71 2.03 1.53 -6.70 0.00 5.56 1.22 0.00 -0.98 -0.29 0.00 0.16 -1.78 -0.39 -2.53

469,000 62,700 2,853,150 1,679,620 121,800 3,000 28,000 2,200 374,200 1,000 13,000 30 634,000 2,795,120 50,600 103,390 1,520 1,720 713,600 762,280 152,330 54,000

45.6 3.6 0.88 1.91 11.88 55.65 22 206 18.3 47 2.09 5.4 11.46 9.930 7.20 5.61 7.41 22.8 67 12.20 15.10 5.75 2.240 233.00 34.95 3.48 27.75 28.8 6.55 312.00 0.275 4.20 3.5 11.70 3.06 11.54 5.20 1.80 2.85 4.24 4.28 215.2 2.5 0.152 1.71 2.62 201 4.6 0.9 30.60 1.24

0.00 -3.74 0.00 -1.04 -0.17 0.09 2.80 4.57 2.92 0.43 0.00 0.00 -0.17 2.90 0.70 0.54 -0.40 0.44 0.00 -0.16 -0.79 0.00 0.00 1.30 -12.63 2.96 0.00 2.13 0.00 -1.27 3.77 1.94 0.00 -0.85 0.00 -0.86 -1.33 0.00 0.71 -0.24 -0.23 -1.74 0.00 0.00 -3.39 1.95 0.55 -4.17 2.27 -2.86 -1.59

2,258,600 750,000 35,000 2,787,000 62,400 80 962,600 2,150 482,500 1,700 1,134,000 5 30,000 8,431,200 1,207,400 12,619,900 59,400 2,371,800 298,520 20,000 38,300 1,001,900 822,000 667,220 8,500 61,000 476,100 938,200 176,500 120,500 1,160,000 17,000 283,000 3,888,400 10,000 6,500 1,581,800 1,312,000 216,000 1,199,000 2,000 820 230,000 330,000 751,000 41,345,000 988,140 24,000 3,531,000 100 110,000

0.400 78.00 15.42 1.15 5.97 0.380 0.375 855 7.98 12.64 6.38 1424 6.30 83.90 7.85 15.9 6.13 0.0320 1.280 1.810 78.40 982.00 1.16 0.85 182.000 0.3100 0.2000 0.340

2.56 0.13 -1.66 0.00 -0.50 -1.30 -2.60 1.18 1.14 -0.94 2.90 0.92 -0.32 0.48 0.00 2.58 0.82 0.00 -9.22 0.00 0.58 0.87 -2.52 4.94 0.55 0.00 0.00 0.00

560,000 1,593,600 2,918,100 68,000 41,400 5,070,000 1,410,000 608,500 1,237,600 2,016,200 348,700 63,980 61,000 10,734,450 949,100 5,199,900 34,177,400 8,200,000 2,000 1,908,000 285,690 275,470 40,000 1,000 21,100 1,430,000 620,000 7,130,000

7.900 1.35 2.460 0.280 37.900 3.27 5.16 5.73 0.510 0.95 1.050 0.136 0.570 57

0.00 -3.57 -1.20 -1.75 3.84 2.51 0.19 0.00 0.00 -3.06 5.00 3.03 7.55 1.97

59,400 15,501,000 887,000 2,250,000 10,324,400 2,284,000 9,400 100 4,934,000 6,000 271,000 13,390,000 23,379,000 3,029,700

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

Empire East Land 0.790 Global-Estate 0.96 Filinvest Land,Inc. 2.02 Interport `A’ 1.28 Megaworld 4.41 MRC Allied Ind. 0.090 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.3000 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.495 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 44.80 Primex Corp.

8.5 Robinson’s Land `B’ 29.00 Rockwell 1.62 Shang Properties Inc. 3.12 SM Prime Holdings 24.95 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.92 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.020 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.200

1.27 1.04 0.99 -2.34 3.17 3.33 -1.67 0.00 -3.24 0.35 0.69 -1.23 0.00 0.60 -1.09 0.98 1.92

427,000 1,883,000 15,609,000 405,000 47,764,000 2,900,000 20,000 300,000 11,600 6,000 2,409,300 59,000 4,000 10,155,600 1,480,000 1,015,000 17,863,800

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 2.6 7.67 4 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 12.5

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 1.6 4.8 2.58 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 8.72

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

-6,012,960.00 53,800.00 372,470.00 586,740.00

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

-0.68 1.20 -1.56 0.00 0.91 7.32 1.72 -1.67 0.83 -6.09 -4.47 17.65 2.47 -1.23 -12.29 -1.69 0.34 -0.70 -0.17 0.21 0.00 -2.41 4.91 0.84 0.27 -2.20 0.00 -1.75 -1.97 5.53 0.25 -3.45 0.00 -0.20 0.00 0.00 1.01 -3.33 13.40 1.19 1.86 0.00 -1.12 -1.67 -0.30 -1.45 -0.29

176,800 86,900 2,000 201,000 3,000 16,523,000 58,620,000 3,723,000 1,058,300 6,000 181,300 31,000 66,145 676,800 300 11,000 758,570 49,300 800 208,500 10,270,000 3,454,000 25,000 8,900 150,900 2,061,000 200 16,000 162,000 10,772,000 8,569,000 8,433,000 560,700 2,100 60 87,300 210,530 10,730,000 84,658,000 1,852,400 631,520 185,000 4,395,000 51,000 556,000 520,000 37,200

15,060.00

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

2.33 3.60 -0.93 -0.94 2.17 0.00 0.00 2.15 0.47 -2.22 -3.33 1.21 1.89 -7.14 0.00 -4.26 0.00 -0.38 -5.00 -3.08 0.00 0.00 2.00 1.22 8.64 0.00 0.00 5.96 0.00

273,000,000 263,000 -209,300.00 116,000 -170,910.00 400 1,790,000 10,500 -75,038.00 235,000 -32,500.00 140,000 550,400 177,191,000 2,268,390.00 1,310,000 46,250,000 2,590,000 -108,000.00 676,900,000 50,200,000 1,065,000 5,947,000 -14,804,580.00 150,000 32,000 118,000 -13,000.00 30,600,000 13,200,000 3,000 3,556,200 -2,324,682.00 10,002,000 5,828,120.00 103,500,000 444,330 7,534,543.00 968,000 -5,400.00 12,800,000

70 553 525 120 515 8.21 12.28 111 78.95 84.8

33 490 500 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 74.5 75

1

1.83 -1.76 0.00 1.67 -0.47 -4.32 0.90 2.50 0.13 0.00 0.07 0.00 1.96 0.00 0.00 -1.92

373,200 2,000 50,430 80,800 200 22,900 11,000 100 19,000 6,200 14,000 5,860 26,000 75,580 50,580 18,000

-6,240,535.00

1.34

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

5.14

252,000

-9,240.00

0.75 -1.63 2.44

972,000 45,000 1,599,700

4,000.00

1.22

54,890

830,070.00 -57,969 36,860,952.00 -863,945.00

-2,845,828.00

-1,643,726.50 -1,593,036.50 -451,760.00 16,254,330 -21,808,594.00 -1,114,903.00 25,463,280.00 11,220.00 95,500.00 6,671,820.00 0 1,783,636.00 -11,546,271.00 328,919.00 2,894,177.00 -11,138.00 7,314,940.00 545,169.50 101,566.00 -57,720.00 -51,324,240.00 -777,835.00 -2,270,040.00 -123,414.00 4,256,470.00 707,770.00 -6,190,936.00

-26,100.00 66,548,357.00 -18,500.00 -92,000.00

10,267,876.50 3,512,398.00 -127,758.00 -167,050.00 40,696,695.00 4,281,990.00 4,633,364.00 2,130,871.00 14,533,015.00 -53,335.00 -284,760,717.00 1,023,445.00 19,625,312.00 84,875,085.00 70,400.00 -1,542,142.00 185,520,230.00 -213,346.00 17,000.00 220,360.00 84,510,360.00 2,973,410.00

-39,880.00 -509,000.00 6,006,104.50

Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

0.800 0.790 0.800 0.98 0.96 0.97 2.05 2.00 2.04 1.30 1.25 1.25 4.55 4.41 4.55 0.095 0.088 0.093 0.2950 0.2700 0.2950 0.530 0.495 0.495 44.90 41.90 43.35 8.53 8.5 8.53 29.80 28.55 29.20 1.62 1.59 1.6 3.14 3.05 3.12 25.30 25.05 25.10 0.92 0.88 0.91 1.040 1.010 1.030 5.340 5.200 5.300 SERVICES 7.3 7.4 7.25 7.25 49.9 51.95 49.95 50.5 1.28 1.28 1.26 1.26 0.590 0.590 0.570 0.590 11 11.1 11.1 11.1 4.37 4.70 4.39 4.69 0.0580 0.0600 0.0560 0.0590 2.99 2.98 2.92 2.94 96.55 97.4 95.05 97.35 1.97 2 1.85 1.85 6.93 6.87 6.55 6.62 3.40 4.20 3.82 4.00 2350 2440 2346 2408 6.49 6.49 6.39 6.41 24.00 21.05 21.05 21.05 1.18 1.18 1.16 1.16 58 59.15 58 58.2 14.30 14.90 14.00 14.20 11.56 11.54 11.54 11.54 9.61 9.63 9.50 9.63 0.325 0.330 0.325 0.325 1.6600 1.7000 1.6100 1.6200 2.24 2.35 2.23 2.35 11.9 12.3 11.54 12 7.50 7.68 7.52 7.52 3.18 3.30 3.07 3.11 19.48 19.48 19.48 19.48 0.570 0.580 0.560 0.560 2.03 2 1.99 1.99 2.35 2.51 2.39 2.48 4.00 4.09 3.98 4.01 2.900 2.920 2.760 2.800 18 18.1 17.5 18 5.04 5.03 4.84 5.03 123.00 124.00 123.00 123.00 24.35 24.35 24.00 24.35 1980.00 2030.00 1980.00 2000.00 0.450 0.455 0.430 0.435 0.970 1.140 0.970 1.100 42.05 42.65 41.95 42.55 80.50 82.45 80.55 82.00 6.22 6.25 6.18 6.22 2.68 2.70 2.64 2.65 0.590 0.600 0.590 0.580 3.34 3.35 3.31 3.33 0.345 0.365 0.340 0.340 6.850 6.900 6.500 6.830 MINING & OIL 0.0043 0.0044 0.0042 0.0044 2.22 2.30 2.22 2.30 4.30 4.30 4.25 4.26 12.80 12.68 12.02 12.68 0.230 0.235 0.231 0.235 7.4900 7.5500 7.4900 7.4900 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.465 0.475 0.475 0.475 8.56 8.70 8.55 8.60 0.900 0.890 0.850 0.880 0.300 0.300 0.290 0.290 0.247 0.260 0.250 0.250 0.265 0.275 0.270 0.270 0.0140 0.0140 0.0130 0.0130 0.0150 0.0150 0.0140 0.0150 1.88 1.87 1.78 1.8 4.2 4.25 4.08 4.2 2.61 2.64 2.51 2.6 0.6000 0.5700 0.5700 0.5700 1.3000 1.3000 1.2600 1.2600 0.0100 0.0110 0.0099 0.0100 0.0100 0.0110 0.0099 0.0100 4.00 4.08 4.07 4.08 7.35 7.44 7.07 7.44 4.05 4.40 3.95 4.40 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 0.0130 128.50 130.00 128.40 128.50 3.86 4.09 3.82 4.09 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 PREFERRED 49.1 51 49.95 50 539.5 530 530 530 535 535 527 535 120 122 122 122 534.5 532 532 532 6.48 6.4 6.2 6.2 1.11 1.12 1.11 1.12 108.2 110.9 110.9 110.9 78.9 79 79 79 81 81 81 81 76.5 76.65 76.55 76.55 78 78 78 78 76.5 78 77.05 78 76.9 77 76.9 76.9 77 77 76.8 77 2.6 2.55 2.02 2.55 WARRANTS & BONDS 2.920 3.080 2.940 3.070 SME 4.02 4.11 4 4.05 3.06 3.06 2.87 3.01 16.4 16.92 16.4 16.8 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 123 124.5 123 124.5

T op g ainerS VALUE 911,261,232.07 1,009,634,547.914 2,371,422,281.06 1,280,439,826.93 1,206,401,084.39 342,906,335.129 7,159,764,859.49

Low

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,711.71 (up) 14.54 INDUSTRIAL 11,755.48 (up) 60.64 HOLDING FIRMS 7,566.28 (up) 45.58 PROPERTY 3,284.71 (up) 71.35 SERVICES 1,578.92 (up) 22.39 MINING & OIL 11,084.84 (up) 14.62 PSEI 7,598.22 (up) 84.00 All Shares Index 4,529.46 (up) 37.73 Gainers: 101; Losers: 80; Unchanged: 48; Total: 229

36,020.00 -13,407,750.00 -380,550.00 -3,904,380.00 -5,050.00

-20,730,600.00 22,380.00 58,499,310.00 -20,105,728.00 -663,855.00 -5,900.00 33,300.00 -7,339,070.00 -16,530.00 -108,460.00 14,736,693.50

-15,233,340.00

-3,066,744.00 1,921,262.00 16,100.00 -120,219.00 -491,870.00 -222,000.00 360,660.00 4,992,210.00 349,360.00 4,920.00 -16,860.00 151,573,705.00 -2,649,170.00 57,577,015.00 12,704,084.00 62,200.00 -5,184,570.00 -1,287,790.00 34,000.00 24,150.00

-414,260.00

-8,188,732.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Easy Call "Common"

4.00

17.65

Liberty Flour

34.95

-12.63

Premium Leisure

1.100

13.40

Grand Plaza Hotel

21.05

-12.29

PhilexPetroleum

4.40

8.64

Prime Media Hldg

1.280

-9.22

Cyber Bay Corp.

0.570

7.55

Manila Mining `A'

0.0130

-7.14

Bloomberry

4.69

7.32

I-Remit Inc.

1.81

-6.70

TA Petroleum

4.09

5.96

Discovery World

1.85

-6.09

AG Finance

3.99

5.56

Omico

0.5700

-5.00

MEDCO Holdings

0.570

5.56

DFNN Inc.

6.62

-4.47

Melco Crown

2.48

5.53

GMA Holdings Inc.

6.2

-4.32

LR Warrant

3.070

5.14

Marcventures Hldgs., Inc.

1.8

-4.26

TUESDAY: JUNE 7, 2016

B3

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Hanabishi-Hitachi partnership. Hanabishi, the leading homegrown appliance brand owned and marketed by Fortune Buddies Corp., celebrates its 30th anniversary by growing its existing lineup of practical household appliances. FBC signed a partnership with Hitachi Home Electronics Asia for the exclusive distribution of LED TVs. Shown during the signing of the agreement are (from left) Hanabishi vice president for marketing and operations Cherish Ong-Chua, vice president for purchasing and merchandising Jevon Ong, president Jasper Ong, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia managing director Hiroki Nakano and senior manager for business planning Michikazu Sato.

D&L ups dividend payment to 50% CHEMICAL producer D&L Industries Inc. doubled its dividend payout policy to 50 percent of the previous year’s net recurring income from an earlier commitment of 25 percent.

“With minimal capex [capital expenditure] needs in the midterm, improving returns, very low net borrowings and good cash flow generation, the company remains highly committed to driving shareholder value, with the dividend payout policy increased from 25 percent to 50 percent of previous year’s recurring net income and an option to declare special dividends,” D&L said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Meanwhile, the company during its stockholders meeting also declared a regular cash dividend of P0.16 per share, plus a special cash dividend of P0.04 per share to shareholders of record as of June 20. Payment will be made on July 8.

Shareholders will receive P0.20 dividends per share, or a dividend yield of 2.1 percent based on June 3 closing of P9.65.

This year’s dividend, amounting to P1.43 billion, represented an increase of 167 percent from last year’s P536 million and equivalent to 63 percent of last year’s recurring net income.

D&L’s recurring net income reached P2.28 billion in 2015, as sales volume for high-margin products continued to increase.

Net income similarly increased 12 percent year-on-year to P576 million in the first quarter of 2016.

The company said including this year’s payment, the company returned a total of P3.22 billion in cash to shareholders through dividends since the IPO in 2012. The company also paid a 100-percent stock dividend in September 2015.

Jenniffer B. Austria

ALI, Aboitiz allocate P10b in Cebu project

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CEBU City—Cebu District Property Enterprises Inc., a joint venture of property developers Ayala Land Inc. and Aboitiz Land Inc., is spending P10 billion to develop the initial phase of Gatewalk Central, a 17.5-hectare mixed-use development in Mandaue City, Cebu.

Ayala Land president Bernard Vincent Dy said during the launching of the project here that Gatewalk Central, which would consist of residential, office and shopping components, represented the company’s confidence in Mandaue as an emerging growth city.

“We are very excited about this development. Once completed, its character and features are something the local market has not seen before,” Dy said.

Phase one of the project involves the construction of a residential tower under Avida brand,

an office development with 20,000 square meters of leasable space and a shopping mall with 115,000 square meters of leasable space that will feature Landmark department store as its anchor tenant.

The BPO office building will be situated on top of the mall and will open by 2019.

The project is estimated to generate about 1,300 jobs during the construction stage. This will rise to 9,000 jobs once the mall and office components are operational.

The residential development will target young professionals and families and will be launched in the second half of the year.

“This has been a very strategic partnership for us, as we share a lot of common values in building sustainable communities,” Aboitiz Land president and chief executive Andoni Aboitiz said.

Ayala Land said Gatewalk Central reinforced its commitment to developing master planned estates such as Makati central business district, Bonifacio Global City and Cebu Business Park while Aboitiz Land said it fortified its purposes towards nurturing local communities through strong pioneering concepts.

Ayala Land and Aboitiz Land finalized a deal in 2014 to develop a new urban enclave in Mandaue City.

Stock index approaches 7,600, highest in 10 months STOCKS jumped to a 10-month high Monday, as the weakest US jobs data since 2010 boosted optimism the Federal Reserve will delay raising interest rates and encouraged investors to bet on emerging markets such as the Philippines.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 84 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 7,598.22, the highest since it reached 7,662.55 on Aug. 5, 2015. The bellwether was also up 9.3 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also advanced 37 points, or 0.8 percent, to settle at 4,529.46, on a value turnover of P7.2 billion. Advancers led losers, 101 to 80, while 48 issues were unchanged.

Eighteen of the 20 most active

stocks ended in the green, led by property developer Ayala Land Inc., which climbed 3.8 percent to P37.90. Megaworld Corp., another developer, gained 3.2 percent to P4.55, while Globe Telecom Inc. rose 2.5 percent to P2,408.

Marcventures Holdings Inc. and Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. sank on concern Philippine miners in Mindanao will face closer scrutiny after Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte warned companies whose operations threaten the environment to upgrade their practices or face closure.

Marcventures fell 4.3 percent to P1.80, the lowest close since Feb. 12. Global Ferronickel declined 2.2 percent to P0.88, its first loss in five days.

Duterte, who hails from the

Philippines’ island of Mindanao, said on Saturday miners have to stop practices that destroy the environment. He used Surigao as an example of how a mineralrich region in the northern area of Mindanao suffered calamities that environmentalists say were worsened by mining. At stake is an island that’s estimated to sit on $300 billion worth of mineral deposits, from nickel, copper to gold.

“Some investors are speculating that mines in Mindanao will face stricter hurdles because of Duterte’s pronouncements,” said James Lago, head of research at Manila-based PCCI Securities.

“There will be speculation until these erring miners are named.”

The US, the world’s top economy added just 38,000 net new positions in May, a quarter

of the amount expected and the lowest in six years, data on Friday showed. The addition of 38,000 workers, the fewest since September 2010, followed a 123,000 advance in April that was smaller than previously estimated, US Labor Department data showed on Friday.

The jobs report crushed bets on the US central bank increasing interest rates in the next two months, boosting the appeal of riskier assets in developing markets.

“The weak U.S. jobs data gives emerging markets another day to live,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank in Manila. Still, concerns about “Brexit is creating volatility and profit-taking could ensue and temper the rally in markets,”’ he said. with Bloomberg, AFP

B4 Meralco says LNG talks still ongoing

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co., through its power generation unit Meralco PowerGen Corp., confirmed talks with First Gen Corp. and the Shell Group of Companies in the Philippines for a possible tie-up in a liquefied natural gas facility are still ongoing Meralco president Oscar Reyes said his company had not firmed up any plans, but remained in talks with other companies, including First Gen and Shell.

First Gen and Shell are both in advanced stage of their respective LNG terminal projects, which could be the country’s first import facility.

The private sector is rushing the construction of an LNG terminal in preparation for the eventual depletion of the Malampaya natural gas field in northwest Palawan by 2024.

Reyes, meanwhile, said talks with Osaka Gas of Japan for a possible 1,500-megawatt liquefied natural gas integrated facility in Luzon was also ongoing.

Meralco PowerGen officials earlier said the 1,500-MW LNG facility could cost an estimated $2 billion.

Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan earlier said the parties were looking at an integrated natural gas facility that included both an LNG terminal and a power plant.

“You need a gassification plant because we need to import gas.

There is no more gas from Malampaya for the size of the plant. So there will be a gassification facility and a power plant,” he said.

The regasification facility would convert the imported LNG to natural gas for delivery to the power plant.

Pangilinan said the natural gas plant “might be done in phases, but it is up to 1,500 MW.” He said the capital cost for an LNG plant “is not that much expensive than coal.” “The capex [capital expenditure] is actually lower than a coal plant per megawatt, but the problem is the higher cost of power.”

New PAL route. Philippine Airlines, the Department of Tourism West Japan, Kansai International Airport Authority and the Taiwan Visitors Association vow to work together to ensure the success of the Manila-Taipei-Osaka service scheduled to begin on June 25. Leading the ceremonial toast for the upcoming flight service during a dinner reception at the Hotel Nikko Osaka are Emilio Yu (center), PAL special assistant to the chairman and chief executive; and (from left) Hiroyuki Sumita, Kansai International Airport executive officer; David Lim, PAL senior vice president for commercial group; director Leona Nepomuceno, tourism attache in western Japan; director Joachim Lin, Taiwan Visitors Association head; Ismael Augusto Gozon, PAL SVP for airport Operations; and Siegfred Mison, PAL general counsel and SVP for legal and corporate communications.

BSP boosts security versus cyber attacks

By Siegfrid Alegado

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is expanding its cyber-security unit, placing banks and money changers under tighter scrutiny, and will start to regulate digital currencies to ward off laundering and technology crimes.

The central bank will tighten its oversight of foreign-exchange dealers and remittance companies in the next two to three months, Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla told a forum in Mactan City, Cebu, on Saturday.

Virtual currencies like bitcoin, which are currently unregulated and are used in transactions that have increased to at least $2 million a month, will be covered by a 2005 circular that will be amend-

ed, he said. Espenilla said he estimates that the Philippines is the third-largest user of bitcoin, partly because of the volume of funds sent by Filipinos working overseas, which last year climbed to $25.8 billion.

The Philippines has been in the spotlight after one of the largest bank heists in modern history, where thieves hacked into Bangladesh Bank’s account at the US Federal Reserve in February and

routed $81 million to accounts at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. The funds were transferred by a remittance company into gaming halls.

The central bank is bolstering defenses and imposing more stringent rules “in light of recent developments,” Espenilla said.

The regulator will require financial institutions to strictly run checks on their customers at all times, Espenilla said.

“While technology helps in providing financial services, there are risks like money laundering and compromising consumer protection,” he said.

“These are old risks in new hands.”

Separately, Philippine banks had suffered “small and manageable” cyber-attacks, Espe-

nilla said last month after Swift, the global inter-bank messaging system, said hackers had struck again.

“In terms of the KYC rules, the regulations are already there,” the deputy governor in charge of bank supervision said in an interview after the briefing. “We’re tightening our oversight over banks’ fulfillment of those policies.”

The central bank is also evaluating lenders’ proposal to allow a higher level of undocumented foreign-exchange transactions with residents from the current $120,000 cap. That would mean less dealing on the black market and more on the formal spot market, which is easier to regulate, Espenilla said.

Bloomberg

Metro Pacific Tollways sees 2016 revenues increasing to P11.5b

By Darwin G. Amojelar METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. expects revenues to reach P11.5 billion this year on higher vehicle traffic at North Luzon Expressway, Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway and Cavite Expressway.

MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said the company was looking at P10 billion in revenues from Manila North Tollways Corp. and about P1.5 billion from Cavitex Holdings Inc.

MNTC’s revenue last year amounted to P8.1 billion, while Cavitex had P1.2 billion.

Franco attributed the increase revenues to the higher vehicle traffic at NLEx, SCTEx and Cavitex.

MNTC and Cavitex earlier filed compensation claims through an arbitration tribunal for the overdue tariff increase of 15 percent for NLEx and 25 percent for Cavitex.

The operator of NLEx was seeking a P3-billion compensation as of end-2015 for the alleged

inaction of the Toll Regulatory Board on lawful toll adjustments due since Jan. 1, 2013.

Toll at NLEx from Mindanao Avenue to Sta. Ines currently amounts to P218 for Class 1 vehicles (cars, jeepneys, pickup trucks and vans), P544 for Class 2 vehicles (two-axle trucks, buses and vans) and P652 for Class 3 vehicles (trucks and trailers with three or more axles).

Cavitex, meanwhile, was claiming P800 million.

The two companies said the periodic toll rate adjustment was

a contractual right the toll operators were entitled to under the toll operation agreement.

MPTC earlier said it was looking at tollways in Malaysia and Indonesia with potential for expansion.

The company currently has a 29.45-percent stake in Don Muang Tollway Public Company Ltd., a major toll road operator in Bangkok, Thailand.

The concession for DMT to operate the 21.9-kilometer six-lane elevated toll road from central Bangkok to Don Muang Interna-

tional Airport and further to the National Monument, north of Bangkok in Thailand, runs until 2034 .

MPIC through Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. owns a 44.9-percent interest in CII Bridges and Roads, which has various road and bridge projects in and around Ho Chi Minh City.

Its current portfolio includes 68.1 kilometers of roads used by 47,000 vehicles per day and roads under pre- or on-going construction covering a total of 53 kilometers.

T U E S D AY : J U N E 7, 2 0 1 6

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Better internet service?

Don’t hold your breath WHAT was billed as a landmark deal that would deliver much faster internet speeds to mobile phone users will actually strengthen the stranglehold of the country’s two giant carriers, making it highly unlikely that consumers will benefit from fast and affordable service.

Last month, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Globe Telecom agreed to divvy up the telecommunication assets of San Miguel Corp. for P70 billion.

The crown jewels of the purchase is the right to use the 700-megahertz spectrum, which San Miguel had planned to use in partnership with Telstra of Australia to compete against the duopoly. The spectrum is significant because the 700-megahertz band is best at penetrating buildings and traveling long distances.

But San Miguel’s $1 billion deal with Telstra fell through, helped along perhaps by heavy lobbying from both PLDT and Globe, which was pressuring the government to grant them a share of the spectrum, too—an outcome that would have cut the competitive advantage and profitability of San Miguel’s prospective joint venture. PLDT even threatened to go to court over the issue, adding an element of uncertainty to the viability of the new would-be competitor.

With Telstra out of the picture, PLDT and Globe are splitting San Miguel’s telecommunications assets 50-50.

The sale was a coup for both carriers, which have dominated the industry by buying out smaller competitors—with PLDT gobbling up Digitel, which operated Sun Cellular, and Globe buying out Bayantel.

Right after the deal was announced, PLDT shares jumped 9.1 percent, while Globe shares climbed 5.6 pecent—a clear sign from the market that they expected the two carriers to line their pockets with even heftier profits.

PLDT president and chief executive Manny Pangilinan said the purchase would enable them to provide “significantly improved internet and data services to the public… in the shortest possible time.”

He added that with access to the 700-megahertz band, he expected the company to improve its mobile broadband service in six months, with “affordable pricing.”

Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said his company’s goal was to provide customers with a better experience on its mobile data and home broadband service in three to four months.

He acknowledged that while PLDT and Globe cooperated in terms of “getting frequency freed up,” he said the public would see “intense competition shortly.”

But the experience of the last few years argues against this prediction because the two carriers have never really competed where it counts—in price.

Both companies, in fact, are using the same deceptive tactic of luring consumers with high connection speeds at what appears to be an attractive price, until they realize that all of these mobile internet plans come with a data cap, beyond which their customers must pay more.

I’ve written about this before (“Why data caps suck,” May 4, 2015), and the arguments I presented last year still hold water today—and the telcos are still peddling the same sneaky data capped plans.

With the faux competition between PLDT and Globe, is it any wonder that the cost of internet service here is among the highest in the world?

To add insult to injury, we are also close to bottom in terms of internet speed.

The fourth quarter 2015 report from Akamai, for instance, ranks us as the 14th among 15 Asian countries in terms of average connection speed, putting us behind Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam. Among 55 countries ranked worldwide, the Philippines was faster than only four countries—India, Bolivia, Paraguay and Valenzuela.

This is how the “intense competition” between PLDT and Globe has worked out for us so far, and there’s little indication that this will get any better by giving the two companies even more economic clout.

Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

B5

Dominguez bucks new DoF building

By Gabrielle Binaday

INCOMING finance secretary Carlos Dominguez said Monday the new government will review the construction of a new office building for the Department of Finance within the compound of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Outgoing Finance chief Cesar Purisima earmarked P4.5 billion for the 20-story building project.

Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the department had awarded the design contract to the architectural company of Felino Palafox Jr. Scheduled for completion in two years, the project has a multiyear obligational authority from the Department of Budget and Management—an assurance of fund availability on succeeding budgets of the government.

Dominguez said the new office

was “an example of skewed priorities when a lot of Yolanda survivors still don’t have a roof over their heads.”

He said the next administration would likely review the project before the bidding for construction started.

Dominguez is also against the construction of another new building for the National Economic and Development Authority, which has been allotted P20 million to cover its design and engineering study.

A MYOA has also been issued

for the new central office of Neda, also in the Ortigas financial district. Budget said the P2.68-billion building would be built from 2017 to 2020.

“The proposed project... is the construction of a modern 15-story office building that will house some 999 employees of the Neda central office as well as attached agencies...,” Budget said in a statement.

Neda oversees the Public-Private Partnership Center, Tariff Commission and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency.

Funds for construction amounting to P573.9 million will be allocated beginning 2017. The funding will increase to P592.9 million in 2018, P747.7 million in 2019 and P769.4 million in 2020.

The current Neda central office is located in Ortigas in Pasig City.

Dominguez earlier opposed the merger of two of the country’s state-run banks.

Labor meeting. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz (right) exchanges pleasantries with

International Labor Organization director-general Guy Ryder during the 105th International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference, which started on May 30, 2016 and will conclude on June 11, 2016, tackles discussions on decent work in global supply chain; decent work for peace, security, and disaster resilience; ILO’s declaration on social justice for a fair globalization; and presentation of the amendments to the code of the Maritime Labor Convention.

DENR protects Coron, Sabang waters

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has declared the Sabang Bay in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro and the Coron Bay in Palawan as water quality management areas.

Environment said the move aimed to further protect the marine biodiversity in the areas from the unwanted effects of tourism activities.

Both Sabang Bay and Coron Bay are world-class diving sites with great visibility and masses of underwater life, making them among the favorite destinations of tourists and diving enthusiasts.

“These latest WQMA designations are critical to effectively address development issues on safeguard-

ing the areas’ ecosystem qualities from the rapid growth of tourism activities in the towns of Coron and Puerto Galera, while sustaining the economic benefits for the local host communities,” said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

Paje said as diving tourism and the associated residential and commercial developments “exert a considerable pressure on the ecological fabric” of the two bay areas, there was a need to ensure their water qualities compled with the standards prescribed under the Philippine Clean Water Act. He said the strong reliance on healthy and attractive coral reefs made the tourism sector in Coron and Puerto Galera “particularly vulnerable to the impacts of cli-

mate change.”

Paje said the WQMA designation would provide the DENR, local government units, communities and other stakeholders identify water quality problems, sources of pollution and the beneficial use of Sabang Bay and Coron Bay. The designation will also help stakeholders determine what control measures to institute to effectively achieve water quality objectives or improvements.

The Coron Bay WQMA covers the bay itself and eight of the 23 barangays comprising the entire town of Coron, while that of the Sabang Bay includes the bay itself, which is part of the world famous Verde Island Passage, and the whole Barangay Sabang.

B6

TUESDAY: JUNE 7, 2016

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

Treasury bill auction raises P20b

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

THE government raised P20 billion from the auction of Treasury bills Monday, as investors demanded lower interest rates, according to the Bureau of Treasury.

The Treasury said it fully awarded P8 billion worth of 91day debt instruments, P6 billion worth of 182-day papers and another P6 billion worth of 364-day bills. Treasury bills refer to government debt papers with maturity of less than one year.

“The bids have been quite aggressive, comparatively. I think there are some trading hesitancy last week because of the anticipated auction by Bangko Sentral

which went well,” National Treasurer Roberto Tan told reporters after Monday’s auction.

Bangko Sentral’s auction of reverse repurchase facility was oversubscribed Friday, marking the success of the first auction under the interest corridor system.

The Treasury said interest rates on 91-day and 182-day debt instruments declined while the yield of 364-day bills rose.

The auction was oversubscribed

across all tenors with total tenders of P38.052 billion, of which P20 billion was accepted.

Interest rates on the 91-day or three-month debt facilities settled at 1.588 percent, or 8.6 basis points lower than the previous rate of 1.674 percent. Tenders for the three-month debt papers reached P17.596 billion, or more than double the original offer of P8 billion.

The 182-day treasury bill rates also decreased by 3.3 basis points to 1.617 percent from the previous average of 1.65 percent. Tenders for the six-month debt facilities hit P12.176 billion, or twice the P6-billion original offer.

Meanwhile, investors bid higher rates for the 364-day debt papers, with an average of 1.925 percent. This was 5.9 basis points

higher than the previous average rate of 1.866 percent. Tenders for the one-year facility amounted to P8.29 billion, slightly higher than the P6-billion original offer.

“There are many reasons for that. The outlook for one-year is probably different from six [month] and 91 days but still within the market. It was bound to be quite reasonable [and] even the array was quite balanced, from the lowest to the highest bid. I guess we reached a decision where we still had a very reasonable bid, capping that at that level and fully accepted it,” Tan said.

Tan said while Bangko Sentral already launched its interest rate corridor facility, there would be no competition between the two agencies.

“Well it doesn’t look like it. It’s

complementing each other in terms of price efficiencies. The market is adjusting very well,” he said.

Bangko Sentral on June 3 received P574.072 billion total tenders for its overnight reverse repurchase facility under the IRC system. This was higher than the P305-billion original offer.

Tan said the Philippines could withstand volatilities in the external market given its strong economic fundamentals.

“The Philippines is one of the most competitive and admired right now against any economies.

Without even any drastic movement in the interest rate environment, the Philippines, I am very confident, will be performing better than many other economies in comparable category,” he said.

A tale of two mayors: Duterte & Lee Kuan Yew SINGAPORE is regarded by the international community as a country, but in reality it is just a city. A big, rich and modern city, to be sure, but a city nonetheless.

The man who masterminded Singapore’s ascent from a coaling station off the coast of Malaysia to one of the leading countries in the world – the late Lee Kuan Yew – held the title of Prime Minister most of his life (and, later, Senior Minister in his last years) but he really was nothing more than the mayor of a city. The island of Singapore is, after all, only about the size of the City of Manila.

Now that a city mayor has become the president of this country, I think it would be useful to compare the mayor of Davao City with the late mayor of Singapore and see the differences between the two Chief Executives in terms of personality, professional style and accomplishments. Since little is known about Lee Kwan Yew while much has come to be known about Rodrigo Duterte, I intend to write only about Lee Kwan Yew. I leave it to the readers of this column to do the job of contrast-striking.

Lee Kwan Yew was born into a middle-class, Chinese-origin family without political connections. At a time when Singapore was still a British colony, Lee won a scholarship to Cambridge University to study law. He graduated with first-class honors – that’s the British equivalent of our valedictorian – which was a feat for a student from the colonies.

Upon his return to Singapore Lee Kwan Yew began espousing the rights of Singaporean workers and became the island’s leading labor leader. The British authorities frowned upon his activities, and the courageous Lee saw the inside of a British colonial jail.

The brilliant Lee Kuan Yew had clearly established himself as the leading local political figure in Singapore. It was Lee who engineered the departure of Singapore from the newly independent Federation of Malaya and the island’s graduation to the community of independent nations.

During Lee’s watch, Singapore became a modern, disciplined and clean city. The island state’s civil service became efficient, crime was minimized and the police was made honest. It has stayed that way under Lee’s son, Lee Hsien-Loong. It was during the elder Lee’s time as mayor/Prime Minister that the ordinance against gum-chewing was put in place. The world laughed, but nobody chews gum in Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew was an honest individual through and through.

No unexplained bank accounts whose origins and histories were not explained to Singapore’s citizens. He even made his wife stop practicing law in order to avoid accusations of abuse of influence.

Now that he’s gone, she still does not practice her profession.

Lee imbibed much British culture and behavior during his days as a British ‘colonial’, especially during his stay in Cambridge University.

He was a firebrand as a labor leader, but he was ever the gentleman. He was measured in his language, whether addressing public assemblies or the media. He was gracious to women – especially his wife – and he never cussed or publicly insulted people.

Singapore’s first mayor has been gone several years, but his legacy – a First World state – remains and his memory is still revered.

As I said at the outset of this column, I leave it to the readers to make the comparison between Mayor Lee and Mayor Duterte. Its central message is that a city mayor does not have to cuss and insult and badmouth people in order to produce a disciplined, modern and progressive urban environment like Singapore.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

African airline of the year. Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing and the largest African airline, wins the African Aviation ‘African Airline of the Year’ Award for 2016. Shown receiving the award during the 25th African Aviation Air Finance Africa Conference & Exhibition and African Aviation Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa is Ethiopian Airlines chief operating officer Mesfin Tasew.

Benham Rise teeming with marine life A DAZZLING array of soft and hard corals, fish, algae and sponges comprised some of the biological diversity documented by marine scientists from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, University of the Philippines and Oceana during a week-long expedition to Benham Rise in May. Scientists observed one hundred percent coral cover in several sites, with a wide variety of colorful branching and plate corals.

“We saw terraces of corals, as far as the eye could see. It’s so exciting to know that we have such a vast and pristine coral reef ecosystem within Philippine territory,” said Marianne Pan-Saniano, marine scientist for Oceana Philippines.

Benham Bank is the shallowest portion of Benham Rise, which includes an outer section recognized by the United Nations’ Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf as the Philippines’ newest territory in 2012. The vast seamount lies off the eastern coast of Luzon.

During the first science expedition to Benham Bank in 2014, scientists were able to cover five stations and dive for 25 minutes. Two

years later, with the aid of cutting edge technology, scientists in the 2016 expedition were able to extensively study the underwater terrain of Benham Bank, covering 12 research stations and analyzing many hours of video footage daily.

On board the government research vessel MV DA-BFAR, the expedition team left for Benham Bank on May 23 and returned on May 31. Fisheries and algae experts, microbiologists, oceanographers and ecologists from BFAR, UP Marine Science Institute, UP Los Baños School of Environmental Science and Management and Oceana joined the trip to study the biophysical composition of Benham Bank.

For the first time, scientists were able to use data from remotely operated vehicle that took underwater photos and videos for two hours on a daily basis. They also deployed equipment called the baited remote underwater video system that explored deeper parts of the ocean and take five hours’ worth of footage, to determine fish diversity and biomass.

Technical divers from the Philippine Navy and the Philip-

pine Coast Guard assisted the researchers in collecting samples from Benham Bank’s seabed.

The expedition team documented a vast mesophotic reef ecosystem – coral reefs found at depths of up to 150 meters. Scientists believe such deep sea reefs can serve as a potential refuge for shallow reef fishes that could be affected by climate change.

“Collectively, among the decades of experience studying the ocean that we have aboard the ship, no one has ever seen reefs like this.

Benham is indeed a special place,” said Margot Stiles, Oceana’s director of science and strategy.

“Benham Bank holds tremendous potential for discovering more unique species and outstanding samples of marine resources.

Based on the huge success of this expedition, and the inspiring collaboration among the partners, we foresee government and stakeholders working together to protect and sustainably manage this extraordinary natural heritage which is now part of our territory,” said lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president for Oceana Philippines.

TUESDAY : J U N E 7, 2 0 1 6

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

B7

Ali’s body back in his hometown LOUISVILLE—The family of boxing legend Muhammad Ali on Sunday accompanied his body back to his hometown Louisville, ahead of a public funeral procession and service expected to draw huge crowds in honor of “The Greatest.”

Fashion Week. Antonio Banderas and Nicole Kimpel sit in the front row during the Miami Fashion Week at the Ice Palace on June 5, 2016, in Miami, Florida. AFP

Former president Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal are among those due to speak Friday at a memorial in a sports arena in the Kentucky city where Ali—a three-time world heavyweight champion—grew up and threw his first punches.

The charismatic Ali, a dazzling fighter and outspoken civil rights activist who became one of the 20th century’s most towering figures, died on Friday at age 74 after health problems complicated by a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“Ali is now home,” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer tweeted.

A private plane carrying the casket and Ali’s relatives arrived in

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF QUIRINO Cabarroguis -oOoBIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Five guilty of raping Danish tourist NEW DELHI—A court convicted five men Monday of the gangrape of a Danish tourist in New Delhi in 2014, a crime that put India’s record on sexual violence back in the spotlight.

The five were found guilty of the rape and robbery of the 52-yearold woman, who was attacked at knife-point after losing her way as she returned to her hotel in central Delhi in 2014.

“I pronounce all the accused guilty.

Arguments [on sentencing] to be held on June 9,” Additional Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar

told the court in the capital wherethe media and relatives of the accused had gathered.

Three others charged over the attack are being tried separately in the juvenile justice system. A ninth accused, an adult, died before the end of the trial.

Under new tougher laws the minimum punishment for gang rape is imprisonment for 20 years along with a fine while the maximum is life.

The Danish woman, traveling alone and in Delhi after visiting the Taj Mahal, had ap-

proached a group of men for directions as she returned to an area popular with backpackers, reports at the time said.

The assault in January 2014 was the latest in a series of sex attacks on foreigners in India, which reignited concerns about women’s safety in the country.

A Polish woman had been drugged and raped as she traveled to Delhi with her young daughter in a car, just before the attack on the Danish woman.

India’s government toughened jail sen-

tences for rapists and overhauled policing procedures in the wake of the gang-rape of a Delhi student on a moving bus in December 2012. She later died in a Singapore hospital.

That attack sparked furious mass street protests about high levels of violence against women, as well as global headlines about the treatment of women in India.

On Monday the five accused showed little emotion as the verdicts were read out. Neither the victim nor members of her family were in court. AFP

Three die in fierce storms in Australia SYDNEY—The wild weather that smashed into Australia’s east coast and whipped up giant waves on Sydney beaches has left at least three people dead and others missing, police said Monday as the cleanup began.

Ferocious storms pounded the coast over the weekend, causing flooding in New South Wales state. Huge seas eroded the shoreline, in one instance sweeping the in-ground swimming pool of a beachside home onto the beach.

“This storm, which was so ferocious, has taken life from us,” New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said as he warned that conditions remained dangerous.

“It is clear—the ferocity of this storm was such that the damage has been unbelievable up and down the coast.”

The Bureau of Meteorology said a combination of rain, wind and wave action had created the conditions which saw beaches strewn with debris and rivers and creeks bursting their banks.

One part of Sydney suffered its worst flooding in 30 years, while the city’s Observatory Hill weather station received some 226 millimeters (8.9 inches) of rain over the weekend— well above the average monthly rainfall for June of 131.9 millimeters.

The bureau said a wind gust in excess of 115 kilometers per hour (71 mph) was recorded in Sydney Harbor, while two of the airport’s three runways were closed due to high winds.

Police said divers had retrieved two bodies

from cars swept away by floodwaters, one in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Leppington and another near the town of Bowral, some 100 kilometerssouth of the city.

“It is a tragedy these two lives have been lost.

We simply do not know how either of these two men came to be in the flood waters,” said acting assistant state police commissioner Kyle Stewart.

“But what we know is that their deaths show just how dangerous flood waters are.” AFP

Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, from Arizona, where he died.

The casket was loaded into a hearse and taken to a local funeral home, where dozens of fans were waiting to show their support, local CBS affiliate WLKY reported.

Also on Sunday, interfaith services were held at Louisville’s Islamic Center in Ali’s honor.

Fischer told AFP that the city—whose residents have left flowers, balloons and tributes at Ali’s childhood home— was ready for a massive celebration to honor its most famous son.

“The Champ was a supernatural figure who crossed all kinds of boundaries, from ath-

letics to arts, to humanitarian activities, from black to white, from Christians to Islam, and he belongs to the world,” he said.

“There will be people coming from all over.”

The mayor said plans for Ali’s last farewell had been in the works for “quite some time,” and that the city—host of horse racing’s elite Kentucky Derby, which draws crowds of nearly 200,000—was set to “handle big crowds.”

After a small family funeral on Thursday, Ali’s coffin will be transported Friday through the streets of Louisville, before a private burial and the public memorial service at the KFC Yum! Center.

The procession has been organized to “allow anyone that is there from the world to say goodbye,” family spokesman Bob Gunnell told reporters.

More details about the ceremonies were to be revealed at a press conference in Louisville on Monday. AFP

INVITATION TO BID FOR Rehabilitation of Rizal – Villa Pascua Road Contract No. 2016-011 June 7, 2016 1.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino, through the DILG-Trust Fund intends to apply the sum of P 16,280,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for 2016-011 Rehabilitation of Rizal –Villa Pascua Road, Diffun, Quirino. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino now invites bids for Rehabilitation of Rizal – Villa Pascua Road. Completion of the Works is required by 79 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 AM to 4:00PM.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from June 7, 2016 to June 22, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25, 000.00).

The BAC will issue hard copies of Bidding Documents at the BAC Secretariat, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, upon payment of the applicable non-refundable fee. The Pre-Bid Conference shall open only to interested parties who have purchased the BD’s. Bids must be accompanied by a bid security, in the amount and acceptable form, as stated in Section 27.2 of the Revised IRR.

6.

The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Provincial Government of Quirino will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on June 10, 2016, 3:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Bldg., Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before June 23, 2016, 3:00PM at Special Projects Unit Conference Hall, 2nd Floor, Commercial Bldg., Capitol Compound, Capitol Hills, Cabarroguis, Quirino. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Prospective bidders shall submit their duly accomplished forms as specified in the BD’s in two (2) separate sealed bid envelopes to the BAC Chairman. The first envelope shall contain the technical component of the bid. The second envelope shall contain the financial component of the bid. Contract will be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid as determined in the bid evaluation and the post-qualification.

8.

The Provincial Government of Quirino reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: (SGD) ENGR. DENCIO A. PAGBILAO Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Province of Quirino +639175007275 +639177756155

(TS-JUNE 7, 2016)

TUESDAY : J U N E 7, 2 0 1 6

B8 Clinton on brink of primary victory LOS ANGELES—Hillary Clinton stands poised to claim the Democratic mantle with Tuesday’s primaries including California, overwhelming her rival Bernie Sanders and setting up a historic US presidential election showdown with Republican Donald Trump.

The front runner is all but assured of locking in her party’s nomination, a monumental step towards fulfilling a dream of returning to the White House as commander in chief, 16 years after serving as first lady to president Bill Clinton.

The former secretary of state neared the brink of victory with a strong win Sunday in the island territory of Puerto Rico, one day after the US Virgin Islands voted overwhelmingly for her.

But a loss in California, the largest state in the nation, would blunt that momentum and potentially complicate Clinton’s efforts to unify the party.

Clinching the nomination will launch an unprecedented battle between a candidate seeking to break the glass ceiling and become the country’s first female commander in chief, and a provocative billionaire businessman and political neophyte who has changed the face of American campaigning.

Clinton, who like Sanders has stumped relentlessly in the Golden State in recent weeks, signaled the race has run its course and she will prevail as Democratic standard bearer.

“I believe on Tuesday I will have decisively won the popular vote and I will have decisively won the pledged delegate majority,” she told CNN from California.

“After Tuesday I’m going to do everything I can to reach out to try to unify the Democratic Party and I expect Senator Sanders to do the same.”

But Sanders contends Clinton’s lead is largely based on support from so-called super-delegates, party big-wigs who are not bound to vote for a specific candidate, and he proclaimed he will take his nomination fight all the way to the Democratic convention in July.

Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, argued Sunday he could persuade many of the more than 500 super-delegates who back Clinton to reverse course and vote for him, adding that it would be “not quite accurate” for Clinton to claim victory by counting superdelegates before the convention.

Sanders has signaled he will use the time between the final Democratic primary—June 14 in the US capital Washington—and the July 25-28 convention to win over super-delegates.

A strong Sanders night Tuesday, though, will not deny the inevitable mathematics of Clinton crossing the threshold.

She now stands at 2,354 total delegates, according to CNN’s tally, just 29 shy of the number needed for victory. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD Fighters closing in on IS stronghold in Syria HALULA, Syria—US-backed fighters advanced Sunday to within five kilometers of the Islamic State group’s stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria, threatening a crucial jihadist supply line.

The assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces adds to the pressure on IS as it faces another offensive by Russian-backed regime troops in its bastion province of Raqa and in Iraq.

Supported by air strikes by the US-led coalition, the SDF alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias has made steady gains since launching the operation against Manbij last week.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Sunday the SDF was “now within about five kilometers” of the stronghold.

The town is on a route connecting Raqa to the Turkish border, a vital conduit for supplies and foreign fighters.

US Central Command spokesman Colonel Patrick Ryder said Saturday SDF fighters had seized more than 100 square kilometers of territory during the advance.

More than 55 air strikes have been carried out since the start of the offensive, hampering IS’s ability “to move fighters, weapons, finances (and) supplies into and out of Syria and Iraq”, he said.

Some 3,000 Arab fighters were taking part in the Manbij operation, backed by around 500 Kurdish militia members, said Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the international coalition fighting IS. In the village of Halula just east of Manbij, an AFP correspondent saw several US soldiers in jeeps as they assisted SDF fighters.

Washington has said US forces are advising the SDF on the ground but not taking direct part in combat.

In Halula, the AFP reporter saw dozens of civilians who had fled areas around Manbij, including many children, most with few belongings.

“They lived near us and we had to do what they said or they would kill our children or take our homes,” mother of nine Jawaher said of IS. The United Nations says that at least 20,000 civilians have fled the fighting around Manbij.

At least 74 people have died in fighting since the offensive began last Monday, including 32 civilAtmosphere. This is a general view of the atmosphere during the ME Cabo resort’s grand re- ians mainly killed in coalition air strikes, said the Observatory. AFP opening party with Blue Marlin Ibiza on June 4, 2016, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. AFP

Father says his son forgave him after forest ordeal TOKYO—The father of a sevenyear-old Japanese boy found alive nearly a week after his parents left him in a bear-inhabited forest as punishment said that his son had forgiven him, as details emerged of the boy’s ordeal.

Japan has been mesmerized by the young Yamato Tanooka, who survived six nights alone in northern Japan after his angry parents abandoned him by the side of a mountain road on the island of Hokkaido on May 28.

Searchers, including soldiers,

scoured the mountain for days but could find no clues to the missing boy. He was discovered Friday morning sheltering in a hut on a military base some 5.5 kilometers from where he had been left.

Takayuki Tanooka, his 44-yearold father, has said that he, his wife and daughter returned to the spot where Yamato was forced out of the family car several minutes later, but there was no sight of the boy.

“I said to him, ‘Dad made you go though such a hard time. I am

sorry’,” the elder Tanooka told broadcaster TBS in footage aired Monday.

“And then my son said, ‘You are a good dad. I forgive you’,” Tanooka added, choking up.

Yamato was taken to hospital immediately after being found by a soldier from the base and will be discharged on Tuesday, a hospital official told AFP, refraining from giving further details.

Immediately after being abandoned, the crying boy had attempted to chase his parents’ car

but ended up getting disoriented and going the opposite way, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported, citing sources close to the family.

Yamato also said that because he was afraid of the forest he walked about five hours in the dark along a path until he came to the hut on a military drill field, the report added.

Other reports said the boy saw no one until the soldier found him on Friday but he believed his family must be looking for him. AFP

tuesday : J uNe 7, 2016

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tatuM aNCHeta EDITOR

BING PaReL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BeRNadet te LuNas

life @ thestandard.com .ph

WRITER

@LIFeatstandard

a Rts, Cu Lt uRe & t eCH

LIFE

PhIlIPPInE’S BEAuTIful DESTInATIOnS On RuSSIAn T-ShIRTS

t

DOT promotes Philippine Tourism through a partnership with Russia’s largest apparel retailer

he Department of Tourism seems to be on a roll in campaigning for Philippine tourism globally through a series of international partnerships.

A few weeks ago, DOT launched a partnership with the gorgeous international social media influencer Jeremy Jauncey of Beautiful Destinations, followed by the Visit Philippines Again 2016 campaign in the London Waterloo Station that went trending online.

Unknown to many Filipinos, the DOT once again pushed the limits last March and crossed over to retail by partnering with Russia’s largest apparel retailer, SELA, that offers trendy high-quality yet affordable casual wear adults, teenagers and kids.

The SELA brand launched a T-shirt collection that sells six

designs featuring the Philippines, highlighting destinations that include Manila, Cebu, Bohol, and Siargao. These shirts are currently being sold in 400 SELA stores in 200 cities in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgistan, Ukraine and Belarus, and on the SELA online shopping website. The six-piece fashion line consists of T-shirts for men, women, and children, and are complemented by Philippine-made fashion accessories like bags, bracelets and fashion jewelry.

According to DOT Assistant Secretary Arturo Boncato, Jr., who represented the DOT at the Moscow launch, the Philippines shirt collection idea came from Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr who thought of using T-shirts as walking billboard advertising for the Philippines in a huge country like Russia.

DOT wanted to tap on the Russians’ love for fashion with hopes that in using T-shirts for advertising Philippine tourism destinations, it will be an effective way to establish the Philippine brand in the Russian market’s consciousness, easily achieving product awareness and name recall, particularly among young travellers.

“The average age of the Russian tourists to the Philippines is 36 and most of them are professionals, who come with their spouses and children,” shares DOT director Verna Buensuceso, who handles the Russian market for DOT. “They visit the Philippines for leisure and they prefer beach holidays, sightseeing, shopping, and scuba diving as tourism activities. Eighty percent of the time, it is the women who make

Russian models showcasing the Philippine inspired SELA t-shirts

SELA store window display

SELA store t-shirt display

the decision on the choice of holiday destination for the Russian family.”

Last year, the Philippines received only 35,378 Russian visitors, but this market is steadily growing at a rate of 6.5 percent. DOT’s partnership with SELA aims to expand this current number.

summer’s last hurrah at alviera Before school starts, Alviera township development in Porac, Pampanga wants everyone to experience what it feels like to be a player at hit TV game shows Takeshi’s Castle and Wipeout during a one-day summer festival happening on June 11.

Organized by Runtertaintment, the company behind Outbreak Manila, Slidefest Philippines and Breakout Philippines, the Alviera Go Play event at Sandbox is a full day of wacky games, physical and mental challenges, foamy frolic, bouncy inflatables, yummy food, lively music and more.

“We are all about memorable moments, big laughs and team work. Go Play offers (both) young and old a fun-filled festival atmosphere of games, music, food, drinks, foam pits, and lots of selfie opportunities,” said Runtertainment managing director Angelo Cruz.

Kids and kids-at-heart will get to take part in the craziness of Human Foosball, keep singing through Wacky Karaoke, run in sumo suits through Sumo Relay, play Agawan Base dressed in a zorb ball, or manage three lay-ups with binoculars on in Binocular

Agawan Base Zorb Edition

Basketball. For more fun and challenging games, there are Buzzingo, Extreme Jack & Poy, Brain Games, Photo Mission and more.

Furthermore, there’s a foam bash party every hour where a local DJ will be onstage to play the summer’s soundtrack. An inflatable play area will be open for kids aged 13 and below. Not to be missed is a water obstacle course where players have to

Inflatable Play Area

avoid giant swinging balls to get to the end.

Alviera Go Play runs like an outdoor arcade where players can earn more tickets or exchange them for prizes. Registration as a Regular Go Player for P800 entitles one to 10 points, while the Extreme Go Player at P1,200 gets 20 points. Children aged seven and below can register as Go Kids Player for only P600 and start off with 10

points. Each activity requires points to join in. Every successful activity gains a player more points.

A point refilling station will be set up, as well as a prize area where winners can exchange points for souvenir items.

For tickets and information on Alviera Go Play, visit www.goplayph.com.

tuESday : J uNE 7, 2016

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@LIFEatStandard

ARTS AND CULTURE ROUNDUP What’s on in theaters and galleries this week

ExhibiTS

ThEATER PLAyS

The Silence of J Galleria Duemila, Pasay City Ongoing until June 30

Happiness is a Pearl 1701 The Little Room Upstairs, Landsdale Tower, Quezon City June 9 to July 3

In his latest solo exhibition, visual artist Junyee Yee attempts to exhibit his thoughts on silence through a series of four-sided woodworks. The wall artworks mounted on walls are made from sturdy jointed T&G (tongue-andgroove) planks, whitewashed in ivory, snow and eggshell – all muted colors that highlight the artist’s depth and perspective on the subject of soundlessness.

Known for his use of indigenous resources, Yee’s sparse compositions seemingly manifest as diagrams or blueprints of a utopian construct and through each piece – made to look like discontinued paint job – he reveals the architectural and utilitarian qualities of the medium.

Theater company Artist Playground opens its second season with the production of the Famer Rody Verawritten play “Happiness is a Pearl.”

The story follows three characters: Kenji, a male courtesan; Maria, a poor Pinay Japayuki; and Mari, a wife who falls in love with Kenji. The main characters are intertwined by fate and

struggles while trying to find the true meaning of love and happiness.

“Happiness is a Pearl” will be directed by Paul Jake Paule, and will star Ruth Alferez as Mari and Tomas Miranda as Kenji, together with Artist Playground’s very own group of artists Cath Go (Mari, alternate), Jerome Rosalin (Kenji, alternate), and Shiela Espina and Irra Ruzz as Maria.

For more information on this ongoing exhibit, call (02) 833-9815 or email gduemila@gmail.com or visit www.galleriaduemila.com.

Studies on the Movement of Water Tall Gallery, Finale Art File, Makati City Ongoing until July 2 The changing ecologies and the connection between sky and shore are explored in Catalina Africa’s current series of artworks. Each painting, based on the artist’s perceived impressions on the subject, revels in the fluidity and flux of ocean as well as the land that surrounds it.

Africa reveals a cosmic fascination with the “geography that is also myself ” by reflecting the proverbial sense of seeing the universe in a grain of sand. Her latest exhibit serves as an act of aesthetic introspection towards the world beyond.

Visit www.finaleartfile.com to know more about this solo show.

The Way In/The Way Out Silverlens Galleries, Makati City Ongoing until July 2 Painter and Buddhist Chati Coronel has always been fascinated with human consciousness which has been the thematic bedrock of nearly everything that she does. And in her solo exhibition, she delves deeper into this invisible and mysterious object that serves as “our currency” with the use of color.

Each of Coronel’s painting has corresponding color, and each color is applied with the same layering technique she’s used in most of her work. Notably, each color has varying effects on the image – either obfuscating, fragmenting, diffusing or altering. There is a ritualistic fervor to the way the artist intends each color to be an energy center.

For inquiries, call (02) 816-0044 or email info@silverlensgalleries.com.

LECTURES Talks of Philippine Cinema: Iyakan at Sampalan Ayala Museum, Makati City June 11, 3:00 p.m.

Multi-awarded filmmaker, writer, educator and professor Nick Deocampo is holding a four-part lecture series tackling Philippine cinema. For his first talk, he will discuss melodrama in the local film scene.

Melodrama is considered the “queen” of Filipino movie genres as it has dominated and permeated almost all mainstream cinematic forms ever known in the country. But a movie genre can only result from the habitual patronage by movie

viewers of familiar story patterns and character types, resulting in a reciprocal relation between film artist and audience.

Participants will get to re-acquaint themselves with the familiar by knowing the villains and martyrs in Filipino movies.

Ticket prices range from P300 to P800.

For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 759-8288 or email hello@ayalamuseum.org.

tuESday : J uNE 7, 2016

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@LIFEatStandard

t ec h ta L k

Plus 10 tablet with 4G LTE keyboard

GadGEtS For thE NEw GENEratIoN

B

ack in 1993, Chinese mobile brand Alcatel introduced its first mobile phone to the market. Its first users have grown up since, and today’s young ones most likely did not know how the handset looked like or how it worked.

In a bid to strengthen its presence in Asia and, more importantly, keep itself relevant to today’s younger generations – Millennials and Gen Z – Alcatel launched a new logo and three new products under the mobile phone, tablet and wearable divisions.

“We want to resonate with the younger generations as we step back to our original brand name,” says Alcatel regional director for Asia Pacific and country manager for the Philippines Liza Woods.

The brand keeps it simple with a new name, Alcatel, which is shorter from the previous Alcatel ONETOUCH. And as for “resonating with the youth,” the TCL Communication subsidiary rolls out products featuring the latest technology but with affordable prices “to make our mobile technology accessible to everyone,” according to Woods.

“Alcatel has been known globally to redefine the mobile mass market with its latest technologies. Now it seeks to

By Bernadette Lunas

continue delivering customized user experience with innovative, feature-rich, high-performance mobile devices that allow consumers to do more, create more and enjoy more moments everyday,” shares Woods.

Leading the new product lineup is Alcatel’s new flagship phone Idol 4S and VR (Virtual Reality). The new edition to the Idol series comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor, 32 GB internal memory that is expandable up to 512 GB, 3GB RAM, 5.5-inch 2K AMOLED screen display, 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and 8-megapixel front camera, and 3000 mAh quickcharge battery.

To take it up a notch, Alcatel added a Boom Key. Boom Key is made to complement the fast-paced lifestyle of this generation, as it is a customizable physical button that launches camera, music player and gaming functions with just one push. Another addition to the unit is its packaging that transforms into a pair of VR goggles, which creates virtual reality experience for an immersive 360-degree viewing and gaming.

Woods estimates Idol 4S with VR to retail here in the country at P30,000.

Alcatel also launched its entry to the 2-in-1 device market with Plus 10 tablet that comes with 4G LTE keyboard.

“The tablet allows users to do more, work more, talk more and play more,” enthuses vice president and general manager of Smart Connectivity Business Division Vittorio Di Mauro.

Plus 10 tablet can be used in laptop mode to type documents or create spreadsheets, and in dock mode to display presentations or watch videos.

It can be connected to a hard drive, mouse, USB key and a secondary screen.

Its lightweight body makes it a perfect travel companion, plus the fact that when combined (tablet and keyboard), its battery reaches up to 8,410 mAh which can last up to a full eight-hour working day. Plus 10 is expected to retail at P20,000, according to Woods.

Rounding up the new releases is the Move Time Track and Talk watch for children. Designed for kids aged

five to nine, this 2G device allows parents to call or send them voice messages.

The smartwatch is made to give parents the peace of mind with the help of GPS, GSM and Wi-Fi connectivity that allow adults to locate children wherever they may be using an app that can be downloaded on Apple Store or Google Play Store.

S u g g e s t e d retail price of the smartwatch is P5,000.

Idol 4S with VR (not in photo) and Move Time Track and Talk watch for children

the best and grandest at the Philippine wedding Summit

The Philippine Wedding Summit offers wide options for wedding needs

Not all bridal fairs are created equal.

While they are convenient places for would-be brides and grooms as well as the entourage, sponsors and everyone involved in the wedding preparations, some of these bridal fairs offer very limited options or choices, and it's not unusual for what would have been a perfect day to become a disappointment or worse, a nightmare simply because the chosen supplier did not deliver according to expectations.

Fortunately, would-be couples can check out the best, the biggest and grandest midyear wedding fair – The Philippine Wedding Summit (PWS) on June 25 and 26 at the SMX Convention Centre at SM Mall of Asia Complex from 10:a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Now on its 11th year, PWS offers the Philippines’ finest wedding suppliers in a two-day fiesta of wedding-related products and services.

Family and friends, wedding sponsors and guests can also check out the booths to look for appropriate gifts that the bride and groom will surely appreciate. Wedding planners can also learn a thing or two from the exhibit on what to advice their clients.

A special feature of the PWS is a free career enhancement seminar series for

suppliers with top wedding industry gurus as resource speakers who will talk on special topics that include wedding planning, utilizing the Internet to enhance the business, and event styling.

Among those offering new promos are major sponsors Marriott Hotel Manila, Studio 1 Photography, Hizon’s Catering, and Goldenhills Jewelry. Marriott Hotel Manila’s well-trained sales staff will be on hand to showcase wedding banquet packages and special amenities to all soon-to-weds during the summit. Studio 1 will also offer exclusively bundled special rates for photo and video packages while Goldenhills Jewelry will offer huge discounts on wedding and engagements rings on top of raffle prizes worth more than P150,000.00. Hizon’s Catering, on the other hand, will conduct a Grand Food Tasting session onsite.

Every P1,000 booked during the two-day wedding summit will be entitled to a raffle coupon for the P500,000 raffle promo.

Hourly raffle prizes from exhibitors will also be given away throughout the two-day event.

Official stylist Henry Pascual will weave his magic and create event styling masterpieces to be showcased during the event.

All online pre-registrants are automatically issued a wedding website with Facebook integration which they can customize to contain their very own albums of photos, videos, and blog. The free admission ticket to PWS can be downloaded from a registrant’s wedding website.

At the PWS, you can choose from the widest array of wedding suppliers for bridal gowns, get-up for the groom, hair and makeup artists, cake makers, photographers and videographers, floral suppliers and all other items to make the wedding seamless and picture perfect. So why settle for mediocre when you can have the best?

PWS offers free admission to brides and grooms, their entourage and wedding suppliers by pre-registering online through www.themesnmotifs.com (The Wedding Ideas Portal Philippines). Free tickets may also be obtained from the Themes & Motifs showroom in Makati Shangri-La. Free Admit One tickets are also available from participating exhibitors of The Philippine Wedding Summit, a major event produced and organized by Themes & Motifs, the Philippines’ most prestigious wedding resource company.

tuESday : J uNE 7, 2016

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Pinoys have increased the app’s usage due to the popular curated playlist of Filipino music

Spotify Philippines Enjoys Most Successful Year Yet

O

ne in every four Filipinos enjoying mobile Internet access is actually tuned in to Spotify.

Whether listening at home, while driving or chilling with friends, working out, or even as background music at work, many have grown accustomed to getting their stream of music from Spotify.

This year, the award-winning digital music service is celebrating yet another exciting year in the Philippines.

After it launched the popular curated playlist feature Browse that includes playlists from Spotify’s very own Philippine music experts, Pinoys have increased the app’s usage by 86 minutes on average time spent per user on a daily basis. The number of monthly active users has doubled over the past year, with over 2.7 billion songs streamed.

According to Spotify managing director Sunita Kaur, Spotify is humbled by how the Philippines has embraced usage of the app especially within the OPM industry. “The support and love we have received over the past two years has just been amazing,” she says. “Spotify features the

BSP Corporate Affairs director Fe dela Cruz

best local music from every genre, region and generation alongside the best music from all over the world; this is what makes us a favorite in the Philippines.”

Pinoys can listen to over 30 million songs for free across mobiles, desktops and tablets with options to stream free music as well as upgrade to a premium account that doesn’t stream advertisements. Over the past year, Spotify even introduced various payment schemes for users to enjoy the streaming music.

“We are pleased to be working with the world’s favorite music service, providing Filipinos the opportunity to enjoy their favorite tunes anytime, anywhere,” says Globe senior advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan. “To complement this service, we at Globe continue to develop a wide range of attractive promos and packages to suit all needs, including monthly, weekly, or daily options, making the Spotify Premium even more accessible for Filipino music fans,” he adds.

Users can now make cash payments at major retail points including SM malls. Payments via online bank transfers and GCash are also available. Last year, Direct

NHCP deputy executive director Veronica Dado, SM senior vice president for Marketing Millie Dizon and sculptor and painter Toym Imao

Spotify managing director Sunita Kaur

Carrier Billing was also introduced, allowing users to purchase Spotify Premium and charge it to either their Globe Postpaid bill or Globe Prepaid load.

For more information on Spotify, please visit www.spotify.com/ph or follow it on Facebook and Twitter.

BSP deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo, deputy director of Corporate Affairs Atty. Elizabeth Navarro, Apple Guinigundo, Corporate Affairs manager Jay Amatong and bank officer Ramon Sarmiento

GOOd aS GOLd

Rich PhiliPPine heRitage featuRed in ginto exhibit at the block

T-shape dagger hilt usually worn by noble warriors

Flat square ear ornaments

Replicas of exquisite gold ornaments worn by notables from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao reflecting the richness of pre-Hispanic heritage took center stage during the recent launch of Ginto: A Golden Heritage from our Filipino Ancestors exhibit at the Atrium of The Block at SM City North EDSA. The exhibit, which is a joint project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and SM, showcased ancient gold ornaments crafted by Filipinos from 700 to 1,200 years ago and which are now part of the BSP preHispanic gold collection.

According to records, the 10th and 14th centuries in the Philippines were marked by economic and social progress, the time when artistic and scientific developments also occurred. Gold ornaments unearthed from the said periods manifest a rich culture that was already in existence almost 300 years before the Spanish came to the Philippines.

The abundance of gold did not go unnoticed by Spanish explorers who landed

in the Philippines during the 16th century.

“Pieces of gold, the size of walnuts and eggs, are found by sitting on the earth in the island,” the colonizers noted. Since gold was abundant, ancient Filipinos became masters in crafting art pieces that demonstrate not only their skillful mastery of metallurgy, physics, chemistry, and other sciences, but also of political, cultural, economic, religious and artistic expressions.

Featured during the exhibit were bracelets with fluted designs and flaming rims from the Cagayan Valley; large conical necklace finials and a pair of long pendant double-swirl earrings from Pangasinan; a terra-cotta figure with inlaid gold from Batangas; and large square quatrefoil earrings and a bracelet set, both from Mindoro.

The BSP pre-Hispanic gold collection from the Visayas includes Patan-aw or “Look at Me” earrings from Leyte, Cebu and Bohol; a T-shape dagger handle from Cebu; and caterpillar-shaped ear ornaments from Samar and Leyte.

From Mindanao, the exquisite collection featured Kandit sashes; belt

buckles or finials; dragonfly necklaces; Kamagi bead necklaces; and a pair of waist cord finials, all from Surigao.

Leading the ribbon cutting were BSP deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo and Corporate Affairs director Fe dela Cruz, NCCA division chief Marichu Tellano and International Affairs head Mary Anne Luis, and SM senior vice president for Marketing Millie Dizon.

Also gracing the exhibit opening were BSP officials that include deputy director of Corporate Affairs Atty. Elizabeth Navarro, bank officer Ramon Sarmiento and Corporate Affairs manager Jay Amatong. From the NCCA came International Affairs project manager Ian Felix Alquiros and Project Development assistant Kevin Joshua Mejos. SM Supermalls regional operations manager Jocelyn Lapid and senior AVP for Marketing Ruby Reyes were also on hand to welcome the guests.

Rendering more excitement for the event was the UST singers who serenaded mall goers with performances under the baton of Prof. Fidel Calalang Jr.

t uES DAy : J uNE 7, 2016

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

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Ruffa GuTIERREz and TwEETIE DE LEOn lead nEw faces of

t

InTERnaTIOnaL haIR caRE bRanD

wo of the most beautiful faces in local entertainment have been tapped by local brand Kérastase Paris in the launch of their newest in-salon product, the updated and improved Kérastase Fusio-Dose – Ruffa Gutierrez and Tweetie De Leon.

Kérastase Paris is widely known among beauty and hair enthusiasts as a premium global haircare brand with a product line that’s both sophisticated and tech-savvy, crafted in its elite laboratories in Paris, France. Known to be a hair and scalp care expert since 1964, Kérastase Paris is home to the iconic Nutritive line, with its iconic orange bottle lids known to hordes of women who aim for beautiful hair that’s nourished from within. Since then, Kérastase has launched several targeted hair care lines that tackles specific hair needs. Along with these, renowned beautiful personalities have lent themselves as the faces of Kérastase, among them supermodel Kate Moss, and prima ballerina Diana Vishneva.

That’s why the launch of Kérastase Fusio-Dose in the Philippines would naturally merit the brand to tap the most stunning

Beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez and tV host-model tweetie de Leon (second and third from left) and the other Kérastase Fusio Dose ambassadors Ruffa Gutierrez (left) and tweetie de Leon (right) join the likes of Kate Moss and Diana Vishneva as faces of the renowned hair care brand

and accomplished women in the entertainment, beauty and fashion industry, among them actressproducer-host Ruffa Guttierez and supermodel-fashion entrepreneur Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez.

Ruffa’s career as a television personality has always put her in the limelight, where beautiful hair is key, and Tweetie’s status as one of the Philippines’ pioneering supermodels has made her a role model of beauty and confidence to girls of

“Independence Day: Resurgence” is the sequel to the 1996 film “Independence Day”

all ages. Their careers have shaped them to be the women that they are, and years in the business have made them clamor for a haircare service that helps them with their specific hair needs.

For her hair that needs to be constantly voluminous to be captured by camera, Ruffa relies on the Kérastase Fusio Dose treatment with Densifique booster to make thinning hair fuller. “Now my hair feels and looks thicker

from all angles,” Ruffa quips.

Tweetie’s work as a model have demanded countless hairstyling, so she makes sure to regularly revive her hair with the Kérastase Fusio Dose treatment, the Resistance as her booster of choice. “It’s great that I can rely on this treatment to instantly make my hair healthy again,” Tweetie says.

Kérastase Fusio Dose is an insalon service that offers the signature bespoke Kérastase treatment for any hair type or any hair concern. Need-specific solutions come in the form of Kérastase Fu-

sio Dose boosters: Densifique for thinning hair, Resistance for lifeless hair, Nutritive for unhealthy hair, Reflection for color-damaged hair, and Discipline for hair that needs taming. With this treatment, Kérastase Paris experts assess client’s hair needs are assessed and a bespoke Fusio Dose treatment is recommended on them.

Along with Ruffa and Tweetie, representing the Kérastase Fusio Dose treatment are fashion designer Vania Romoff, stylist-blogger Jenni Epperson and model-entrepreneur Bea Soriano.

the American science fiction disaster film is directed by Roland Emmerich, and written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin

Full throttle defense against aliens After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre and became a worldwide hit, its follow-up epic chapter, Independence Day: Resurgence delivers a new global spectacle on an unimaginable scale.

The most anticipated event movie of the year Independence Day: Resurgence stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Maika Monroe, Bill Pullman, Jessie Usher and Sela Ward directed by Roland Emmerich.

Liam Hemsworth heads the cast of newcomers, portraying Jake Morrison. Raised as an orphan, Jake is a hotshot heroic fighter pilot of Alien-human hybrid jets. The looming Alien invasion may just do that for Jake, just as it changes the life of David Levinson, again portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. In the first movie, it was Levinson who figured out how to stop the Alien threat in the great War of ’96 while Bill Pullman reprises his role as former U.S. president Thomas J. Whitmore, who led the planetary defense in

Actor Liam Hemsworth plays a pilot in Earth Space Defense “Independence Day: Resurgence”

1996. Due to his close encounters with the Aliens at that time, Whitmore has undergone what medical professionals refer to as Alien Residual Condition. Severe internal changes have left Whitmore haunted and disturbed, and “knowing” what the Aliens know. He has visions of their impending return and dark premonitions of the Aliens’ plans for Earth. Another of the film’s many strong female roles is

U.S. President Lanford, portrayed

by Sela Ward. Having previously faced a global catastrophe in Emmerich’s The Day After Tomorrow, Ward was ready to tackle another massive threat, but this time as the commander in chief.

For director Roland Emmerich, Independence Day: Resurgence marks a return to the universe he and co-writer and producer Dean Devlin created two decades ago.

They captured cinematic lightning in a bottle—electrifying audiences around the around the world with drama, action, fun, unforgettable characters, and a presidential speech that’s still quoted today. In the movie, we find the world using recovered Alien technology wherein the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the Aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Notably, the new film is Emmerich’s first sequel. “This world is very special to me, and I wanted to do right by it and the characters,” says the filmmaker. “Enough time has passed that it all felt fresh to me.” Also nudging Emmerich back to the world of Independence Day was the chance to employ visual effects that were light years ahead of those available twenty years ago.

Independence Day: Resurgence transports the audience into the

midst of the action where one of its set pieces include an Alien spaceship that’s a super-structure of unfathomable size, and has a gravitational pull that wreaks havoc with the entire planet, hitting all of the famous landmarks on Earth. “Independence Day: Resurgence” is that kind of boundary-pushing juggernaut, mixed with a playfulness not typical for this genre. “This one is so much bigger than ID4,” says Jeff Goldblum, who reprises his starring role as scientist/world savior David Levinson. “But the film’s spirit of fun, wonder and delight is just as important.”

In fact, as Emmerich notes, the characters and fun are now taking center stage. “Audiences really like these characters,” he explains.

“We’ve expanded the universe of Independence Day, Independence Day: Resurgence opens June 22 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. Available in 2D, 3D and IMAX screens across the Philippines.

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BENJAmIN AlVES mAkES moSt of REcENt HomEcomINg IN guAm

S

triking work-life balance, Kapuso actor Benjamin Alves took a well-deserved vacation in Guam to spend quality time with his family before working on his latest project with his home network, GMA. Benjamin spent most of his growing-up years in Guam, where his entire family is based.

His excitement to be home was evident on his Instagram account as he shared photos and videos of him and his relatives.

In one particular video, the Kapuso star can be seen playing basketball in an arcade with his nephew, Noah. “Hoopin with Noah. Couldn’t help but join in,” he happily shared.

During his most recent visit, Benjamin also had the opportunity to visit some of the local radio stations and press offices through GMA Pinoy TV, GMA’s flagship international channel.

His media tour included an interview with Pacific Daily News, as well as guest appearances in Cruising with KUAM, Kumusta Kabayan, and KTKB Megamixx 101.9 FM Guam, where his brother DJ Arnold Sapida interviewed him.

Benjamin also paid a courtesy call to Consul General Marciano

Benjamin Alves and his guam-based family celebrating the birthday of his nephew Noah

R. De Borja at the Philippine Consulate in Tamuning. He also visited the headquarters of GTA Teleguam, one of GMA’s carriers in the territory.

“It’s so nice to see our #TeamAbroad here in Guam grow since introducing GMA Pinoy TV here.

It feels like so much of me being a Kapuso has come from me being raised in Guam,” he revealed.

According to him, knowing

kapuso actor Benjamin Alves with consul general marciano R. De Borja

Benjamin Alves (center) visit some of the local radio stations and press offices through gmA Pinoy tV

that his “fellow islanders” enjoy Kapuso programs especially those he was part of is a validation that GMA Pinoy TV continues to reach more and more Filipinos in Guam.

Starting this Jmonth, Filipinos in Guam and other parts of the world, will see more of him on GMA’s newest weekly sexy comedy program A1 Ko Sa ’Yo, which also stars Jaclyn Jose, Gardo Ver-

soza, and Solenn Heussaff.

Benjamin, who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Guam where he majored in English Literature, is also the lead advocate of the GMA Network Excellence Award, the Kapuso Network’s CSR program that recognizes outstanding graduating students of Mass Communication or Electronic Communications Engineering.

medical drama shines a different kind of light on hospital work

the medical drama follows the lives of the staff who work the late night shift in the emergency room at San Antonio medical center

The Night Shift, a medical drama highlighting the lives of the doctors and nurses at San Antonio Memorial, is premiering its third season, and the crew is navigating wildly different paths. Relationships are changing, new doctors are arriving and everyone is looking at their lives from a fresh perspective. As TC and Jordan still struggle with

cROsswORD puzzlE 36 37 38 39 41 43 44 45

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Leaf through 5 Minneapolis suburb 10 July sign 14 Birds of ill — 15 Kin of argon 16 Aloha State port 17 Fender nick 18 Long-awaited LHC find

(2 wds.)

20 Let up 22 Drew a salary 23 Without question 25 Lox purveyor 26 Lotsa loot 27 Apiece 28 Lemon peel 32 Up to the task 33 Catches sight of 35 Hydrox rival

Eastern philosophy — Lingus Nick or scratch Baghdad’s locale Thick soup Mooring post Striped antelope “Kidnapped” monogram 46 Rights a wrong 48 Concept 50 Met with courage 51 Seventh planet 54 Mushrooms 55 Means of knowing (2 wds.)

57 Claw or talon 61 Fits to — — 62 Big name in glue 63 Loosen, as a grip 64 In a hurry 65 Leaves laughing 66 Sapporo sport DOWN 1 Whale school 2 Left Bank pal 3 Ike’s rank 4 Swashbuckler’s shout (2 wds.)

5 Lets out a sigh 6 Zeus or Odin 7 “Bus Stop” author 8 Wassail alternative 9 Responds

the line between their personal and professional relationship, our heroes throw themselves into their life-saving work.

Newlywed Drew Alister (Brendan Fehr) is now stationed in Afghanistan, where he meets the accomplished Dr. Syd Jennings. A fearless major in the Army, Syd has worked with the Cultural Support Team in con-

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016

10 11 12 13 19 21 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 34 40 41 42 43 47 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 58 59 60

Spanish sausage Take a chance Sunblock additive 007 Arg. neighbor — Paese Auto import Dump on the market Farm implement pioneer Tie-dye cousin Jetties Weasel, in winter At the table Lawsuit bases Zahn or Abdul Musical ensemble Garlic juicers Breadwinners Heifers Recess game Like, stupid!

Buddy Holly portrayer SAC letters “Lovely —, meter maid ...”

Fire brigade tools Home loan org.

Pipe bend Amateur-sports org.

Dogma MGM mascot

junction with Ranger and Special Forces units.

Actress Jennifer Beals (The L Word) joins the third season as Dr. Syd Jennings from the army. Also, some new additions to the crew are Tanaya Beatty who portrays Dr. Shannon Rivera; and Anna Lynne McCord as Jessica Sanders, a pharmaceutical representative.

The Night Shift Season 3 is pro-

duced by Sony Pictures Television Inc with Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah as the writers and executive producers. It premieres tomorrow first and exclusive on Sony Channel, same week as the US, and will air 8:50 every Wednesday.

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

t uES DAy : J uNE 7, 2016

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team kapamilya: AbS-CbN Integrated News and Current Affairs top guns and “It’s Showtime” hosts

Couple karylle and yael yuzon

Actress Nikki Valdez warms up before the race

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karylle and Gretchen Fullido pose with cute fans

CELEbRItIES SHow uP At DZMM’S ‘tAkbo PARA SA PAMILyANG PILIPINo 2016’

A

BS-CBN anchors and talents gave their full support to help raise funds for the education of calamity victims when they ran with more than 2,000 people at DZMM’s “Takbo Para sa Pamilyang Pilipino 2016,” at 4 a.m. at the Quirino Grandstand on May 29.

It’s Showtime host Karylle Yuzon, with rocker husband Yael Yuzon, and Nikki Valdez led the celebrities at the 17th edition of the DZMM Takbo, that also had ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs head Ging Reyes, broadcast journalists Jorge Carino and Niña Corpuz, and several DZMM anchors and

Radyo Patrol reporters run in one of the race categories, which included 3k, 5k, 10k, and 21k.

DZMM anchors Winnie Cordero and Ahwel Paz were also there to bring fun and laughter as hosts of the pre-race program and awarding ceremony.

Co-organized by RunRio, the run was for the benefit of young

Filipinos who were affected by typhoons that hit the nation such as Ondoy, Habagat, and Sendong.

DZMM believes that every member of the Filipino family is a winner through education. This is the 17th year that DZMM is holding a fun run to raise funds for a special beneficiary, making it one of the oldest fun runs.

DZMM is the AM radio station of ABS-CBN, the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines.

DZMM (DZMM TeleRadyo) is also available on cable on SKYcable, on digital television via the ABS-CBN TVplus, and online via audio streaming at www.dzmm.com.ph.

Enrique finally comes clean

Heavy drama. tenten and Serana, played by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, in a much-awaited episode of “Dolce Amore”

After bottling up his feelings and hiding the truth from her for a long time, Tenten (Enrique Gil) finally told Serena (Liza Soberano) that he loves her in a much-awaited and highly talked about confrontation scene in Dolce Amore.

Aside from admitting that Serena was the cause of his breakup with Angel (Sue Ramirez), Tenten also revealed that he used to be in a relationship with Serena two years before she lost her memory in a car crash.

“Ikaw pa rin ang mahal ko, Serena. Ikaw pa rin naman talaga, ikaw lagi. Ako ‘to, Serena, ang ‘Timon’ mo, ang buhay mo.

Dalawang taon, Serena. Dati merong tayo, merong ikaw at ako,” Tenten told Serena.

Will Serena still find it in her

heart to forgive Tenten and patch things up with him after finding out about her past?

But aside from the revelation that they once loved each other, Tenten also told Serena the ugly reason behind their breakup – her getting kidnapped by Binggoy (Kean Cipriano) in exchange for ransom money that would pay for the medical bills of Tatay Dodoy (Bobot Mortiz).

As if that was not enough, Serena also learned from Uge (Andrew E) and Alice (Sunshine Cruz) that her loved ones in Italy – Luciana (Cherie Gil) and fiancé Giancarlo (Matteo Guidicelli) – have also been hiding the truth from her.

Who will Serena turn to, now that she knows that the people

she thought she could trust turned out to be lying to her?

Will Luciana still be able to gain Serena’s trust?

Tenten’s admission has been a long time coming for the fans of the show. According to data from Kantar Media, the episode last Thursday (June 2) registered a national TV rating of 36.3 perent, or more than 21 points higher than that of GMA’s Once Again (14.9 percent).

Don’t miss the country’s no. 1 kilig series, Dolce Amore weeknights on ABS-CBN or ABSCBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

Catch its latest episodes on iwantv.com.ph or skyondemand. com.ph for Sky subscribers. For updates, follow @realdolceamore on Twitter and Instagram.

James Franco in ‘Angie tribeca’ season 2 If your weekly TV diet includes a hearty dose of slapstick, then June just got a whole lot better. The hijinks-filled cop show Angie Tribeca is set to premiere its second season 7:20 tonight, the same day as the US premiere, only on Warner TV. But what’s even better than the new season? Seeing James Franco goof around with Angie (Rashida Jones) and her eccentric but brilliant colleagues at the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite RHCU: Really Heinous Crimes Unit. Let’s just say, with Franco around as one of many guest stars, things get a little more interesting.

Oscar-nominee Franco reprises his role as Sgt. Eddie Pepper, Angie’s previous partner and ill-fated lover. In the first season, he tried to put handcuffs – err, a ring – on Angie’s finger as he professed his undying love in the second episode of season one. It’s a lot more romantic than it sounds, we think…

The single-camera comedy created by Steve and Nancy Carell will also see Joe Jonas (one-third

of the pop-rock band Jonas Brothers), Mary McCormack (The West Wing), Maya Rudolph (The Angry Birds Movie), Danny Pudi (Community), Busy Philipps (Freaks and Geeks) and Rhys Darby (Yes Man) show off their own brand of zaniness in this riot of a series.

Now you can get up to speed on the hottest cop-comedy series of the year – Angie Tribeca, where goofy police officers investigate crime, reveal way too much infor-

mation about themselves and refuse to rest until justice has been served…well, sort of.

Warner TV is available on SKYcable Channel 77, SKYcable HD Channel 197, Cignal HD Channel 119, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 77, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 80, and Cable Link Channel 30. For more updates on the best in action, comedy and drama, follow on Facebook.com/ WarnerTVAsia.

the Pop Queen’s daughter: Lourdes Leon, 19, spotted by paparazzi

Madonna’s daughter

Rashida Jones and James Franco in a scene from the latest season of “Angie tribeca”

Lourdes Leon, eldest daughter of Madonna, is NOT a little girl anymore — in fact, she is now 19 years old and is a beautiful young lady. The teen was spotted on the Upper East Side of New York dressed in an allblack ensemble as she roamed

around with her headphones.

She was seemingly by herself and appeared focused while she carried a plastic bag and sipped on a beverage.

Madonna also has three other children — Rocco, Mercy and David.

t uES DAy : J uNE 7, 2016

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SHOWBITZ

“KMJS” host Jessica Soho

“24 Oras” news anchor Mel tiangco

Singer and host Regine Velasquez-Alcasid

Comedian Michael V of “Lip Sync Battle Philippines”

GMA kEEps RATInGs ADvAnTAGE In URbAn LUzOn AnD MEGA MAnILA ISAH V. RED

t

he Kapuso network continued to maintain its dominance in television ratings across all time blocks in the viewer-rich areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila in May, based on data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the industry’s widely trusted ratings service provider.

Urban Luzon represents 77 percent of all urban TV households in the country, while Mega Manila accounts for 60 percent.

During the covered period (with May 22 to 31 based on overnight data), GMA led

competition in total day ratings in Urban Luzon with a household audience share of 38.9 percent, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 30.3 percent by 8.6 points and TV5’s 7.7 percent by 31.2 points.

GMA posted double-digit margins over rival networks in its Mega Manila bailiwick with a 40.9 percent total day average, besting ABS-CBN’s 27.1 percent by 13.8 points and TV5’s 8.2 percent by 32.7 points.

In National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM), GMA maintained its strong ratings performance in the daytime blocks. GMA registered 30.5 percent in the morning block, versus ABSCBN’s 29.3 percent and TV5’s 12.2 percent.

GMA was also ahead of competition in the afternoon block with 36 percent against ABS’s 35.6 percent and TV5’s 7.4 percent.

GMA shows also dominated the list of

“Because of you” lead stars: (from left) Gabby Concepcion, Carla Abellana and Rafael Rosell

“24 Oras” tops the numbers game in its timeslot

the Kapuso network dominates the ratings race in the viewer-rich areas of urban Luzon and Mega Manila

top-rating programs in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila led by Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS); which was the highest-rating Kapuso program in Urban Luzon, while grabbing the number one spot overall in Mega Manila.

Joining KMJS in the list of top programs in Urban Luzon for the cited period are 24 Oras, Pepito Manaloto, Lip Sync Battle Philippines, Magpakailanman, Poor Señorita, Eat Bulaga, Because of You, Once Again, Ismol Family, 24 Oras Weekend, Sunday PinaSaya, Juan Happy Love Story, Wish I May, Wowowin, Bubble Gang, Hanggang Makita Kang Muli, Imbestigador, Vampire Ang Daddy Ko, Magkaibang Mundo, and Karelasyon, among others.

Other ratings drivers for the month include Sunday Night Box Office and The

Millionaire’s Wife.

Solidifying its position as the country’s most trusted news source during events of national significance, GMA’s special coverage of the 2016 national elections drew the most number of viewers nationwide.

GMA News and Public Affairs’ Eleksyon 2016 special coverage on May 9 registered an average people share of 37.8 percent in NUTAM, surpassing ABS-CBN’s Halalan 2016, which posted 33.9 percent, and TV5’s Bilang Pilipino 2016 with 7.9 percent per Nielsen data.

Nielsen data is gathered through a greater number of sampled homes nationwide in comparison to Kantar Media. Nielsen has a nationwide sample size of 3,500 urban and rural homes, bigger than Kantar’s sample size of 2,610.

As the leading ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement service boasts a total of 31 clients/subscribers including 8 local TV networks, 4 regional clients, 2 blocktimers, and 17 media agencies.

GMA subscribes to Nielsen along with TV5 and Aksyon TV, CNN Philippines, Net 25, Ebiquity-Faulkner CBN Asia and TAPE Inc., and major advertising and media agencies such as Dentsu Aegis Network (Carat, Mediaforce Vizeum, Dentsu), GroupM (Mediacom, Mindshare, MEC and Maxus), Omnicom Media Group (OMD, PHD and M2M), Zenith Optimedia, and Starcom Mediavest.